Citation

Durkin MS. Pediatrics 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Departments of Population Health Sciences and Pediatrics and Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin maureen.durkin@wisc.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2019-2005

PMID

31558575

Abstract

The most recent update on developmental disabilities from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) report “Prevalence and Trends of Developmental Disabilities among Children in the United States: 2009–2017” reveals a 9.5% increase in prevalence over 9 years.1 This increase is the latest increment in the rising prevalence of childhood disabilities documented by NHIS data since the 1960s.2 Since 1997, when the NHIS began using questions similar to those it uses today to monitor disabilities among children aged 3 to 17 years, the prevalence has increased by 38% to nearly 18% of children, or >1 in 6.1 These findings have major implications for pediatric training and workforce needs and more broadly for public health policies and resources to meet the complex medical and educational needs of the rising number of children with disabilities and their families.

Similar trends have been reported from other countries3,4 and are likely a consequence of improvements in child survival, especially improvements that extend to children at high risk of disability due to risk factors such as preterm …

Language: en