Congenital Heart Defects and Receipt of Special Education Services.

Background: We investigated the prevalence of receipt of special education services among children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) compared with children without birth defects.

Methods: Children born from 1982 to 2004 in metropolitan Atlanta with CHDs (n = 3744) were identified from a population-based birth defect surveillance program; children without birth defects (n = 860 715) were identified from birth certificates. Cohorts were linked to special education files for the 1992-2012 school years to identify special education services.

Use of special education services among children with and without congenital gastrointestinal anomalies.

Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between congenital gastrointestinal anomalies requiring neonatal surgery and neurodevelopmental outcome. Among the children born in metropolitan Atlanta during 1982-2001 who survived to age 1 year (N = 762,824), we identified children with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies via linkage with the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program and children who received special education services via linkage with the Special Education Database of Metropolitan Atlanta. Several modest increases in special education service use were observed among children with isolated congenital gastrointestinal anomalies; no association was statistically significant.

Increased risk of death among children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and infantile spasms.

The magnitude and causes of death among a cohort of children with epilepsy were determined. A follow-up study with a population-based cohort of 10-year-old children in the metropolitan Atlanta area with epilepsy was conducted. The National Death Index and linkage to State of Georgia death certificates were used to identify deaths.

The co-occurrence of autism and birth defects: prevalence and risk in a population-based cohort.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of major birth defects among children with autism, the prevalence of autism in children with birth defects, and the risk for autism associated with having birth defects.

Method: Retrospective cohort including all children born in Atlanta, GA, USA, 1986 to 1993, who survived to age 3 years and were identified through Georgia vital records. Children with autism and other developmental disabilities residing in Atlanta at ages 3 to 10 years in 1996 were identified through the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program.

Use of special education services by children with orofacial clefts.

Background: Our objective was to evaluate the use of special education services by children with orofacial clefts (OFCs).

Methods: We linked the birth certificates of children born from 1982-2001 in five counties of metropolitan Atlanta to a population-based birth defects surveillance system to identify children with OFCs, and to the special education files for the school years 1992-2004 to identify children who used special education services. The special education data contained exceptionalities and services rendered for each school year.

A population-based study of the recurrence of developmental disabilities--Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program, 1991-94.

Serious developmental disabilities (DD) are quite common and affect approximately 2% of all school-aged children. The impact of DDs with respect to the need for special education services, medical care and the demand on family members can be enormous. While this impact can be magnified for families with more than one child with a DD, little is known regarding the epidemiology of recurrence of DDs.

Trends in the prevalence of cerebral palsy in a population-based study.

Objective: To determine trends in the prevalence of congenital cerebral palsy (CP) over a 16-year period for 1-year survivors using a large, population-based surveillance program.

Methods: We determined birth weight-specific trends in the prevalence of CP in live birth and 1-year survivor cohorts of children in a 5-county metropolitan Atlanta area for the periods from 1975-1977, 1981-1985, and 1986-1991. We ascertained children with CP in metropolitan Atlanta by record review as part of an ongoing developmental disability surveillance program conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

Increased mortality in children and adolescents with developmental disabilities.

A population-based cohort of 10-year-old children with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hearing impairment or vision impairment, who were ascertained at 10 years of age in a previous study conducted in metro Atlanta during 1985-87, was followed up for mortality and cause of death information. We used the National Death Index to identify all deaths among cohort members during the follow-up period (1985-95). We estimated expected numbers of deaths on the basis of actual age-, race- and sex-specific death rates for the entire Georgia population for 1989-91.