Profile of childhood disability in rural Bengal

Abstract

Objective: Childhood disabilities are common and impose a significant handicap on the affected children and their caregivers. There are limited data on the prevalence of childhood disabilities as assessed by specialist evaluation. We aimed to explore the spectrum of childhood disabilities in a cohort of rural children in North Bengal. Materials and Methods: A descriptive observational study was done in a tertiary care center of rural North Bengal over 2 years. Children aged between 2 and 12 years with some form of disability were included in the study. The demographic and socioeconomic profile and potential risk factors were recorded. Assessment was done by a multidisciplinary team involving pediatricians and faculty from other relevant disciplines. Relevant national guidelines were followed in assessing individual disabilities and their severity. Results: Four hundred and ninety-one disabled children were included in the study. The prevalence of childhood disability was approximately 2/10,000. Majority had multiple disabilities (56.62%). Sixty-one percent of the children were male, and the majority hailed from low-income families. Combination of locomotor disability and mental retardation was the most common form of disability, pure locomotor disability being the next most common. Proportions of visual and hearing impairment were 15.28% and 13.65%, respectively; 20.57% of the children had moderate to profound mental retardation, and 2.65% were diagnosed with mental illness. Consanguineous parents were noted in 12.42%, and one or more adverse perinatal events were recorded in the great majority of cases. Conclusions: This study exclusively on children by team of specialist medical personnel can serve as an index study profiling childhood disability in rural India.