Proportion of Developmental & Neurobehavioral Disabilities Attributable to Environmental Contaminants
In 2000, an expert committee convened by the US National Academy of Sciences estimated that 3% of all neurobehavioral disorders in children are directly caused by exposure to environmental contaminants, and that another 25% are caused by interactions between environmental factors, defined broadly, and genetic susceptibility, as described in the book Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxocology and Risk Assessment. Thus, the committee concluded that a total of 28% of neurobehavioral disorders could be attributed directly or indirectly to environmental contaminants, not including alcohol, tobacco or drugs of abuse.
In its recent report on Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments: Towards an Estimate of the Environmental Burden of Disease 2006", the World Health Organization estimated that environmental causes account for 13% of all neuropsychiatric diseases, with a range of 10-16%.
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Summary of Information on Washington State
From National Organizations:
ADHD/Hyperactivity
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) information on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, about 3-7% of children in the US suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using this range of percentages and demographic information from the 2005 Washington State Databook, it can be estimated that approximately 54,000 – 126,000 children in Washington State are likely to have ADHD.
Autism
Annual data reported to the US Department of Education, as directed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), suggest that the incidence of autism in Washington State is increasing. For example, in 1999, there were 51 new cases in people aged 6-22 years, and in 2003 there were 2,824 new cases reported.
Cerebral Palsy
According to the March of Dimes "Factsheet on Cerebral Palsy", about 2-3 children per 1,000 over the age of three have cerebral palsy in the United States. Using this prevalence rate in conjunction with demographic information from the 2005 Washington State Databook, it can be estimated that approximately 3,000 - 4,500 children in Washington State are likely to have some degree of cerebral palsy.
Decreased IQ/Mental Retardation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published "State-Specific Rates of Mental Retardation" for 1993 in its Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Reports. According to the data for Washington State, children aged 6-17 had a mental retardation prevalence rate of 8.3 per 1,000 population. Adults aged 18-64 had a prevalence rate of 5.1 per 1,000 population.
Developmental Delay and Cognitive Impairment
According to a 1994 study on the "Prevalence and Health Impact of Developmental Disabilities in US Children" based on the 1988 National Health Interview Survey, approximately 17% of children in the United States, aged 0-17 years, were reported to have ever had a developmental disability. Using demographic information from the 2005 Washington State Databook, and an estimated prevalence of 17%, it can be calculated that approximately 300,000 children in Washington are likely to have a developmental disability.
The "2001 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs" reported that that 210,739 children aged 0-17 years had special health care needs in Washington. This equaled 13.7% of the state's child population. For this study, children with special health care needs were defined as "...those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally."
From State Organizations:
Developmental Delay and Cognitive Impairment
The Washington State Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS) 2000 report on "Washington's Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program Study" found that an estimated 2.5% of children under the age of three in the State may have developmental delays or disabilities. Moreover, a total of 5,520 infants and toddlers under three years of age were found to be enrolled in public early intervention services for developmental delays, disabilities, or special health care needs as of December 1, 2000. The 2000 rate of enrollment in services was 2.3%.
From Local Organizations:
Parkinson's Disease
From Academic Institutions:
Behavioral Problems
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Information on Washington State in Context
Developmental Delay and Cognitive Impairment
Between October 2000-April 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administered the "National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs" and collected data from each of the 50 states. The 2001 report estimated that 210,739 children aged 0-17 (13.7% of the state's child population) had special health care needs in Washington State. Comparatively, the national percentage of children populations with special health care needs was lower at 12.8%.
Moreover, a total of 5,520 infants and toddlers under three years of age were found to be enrolled in "Washington's Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program Study" for developmental delays, disabilities, or special health care needs as of December 1, 2000 . The 2000 rate of enrollment in services was 2.3%, which exceeded the national rate of 2%.
Mental Retardation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published "State-Specific Rates of Mental Retardation for 1993". According to the data for Washington State, children aged 6-17 years had a mental retardation prevalence rate of 8.3 per 1,000 population. Adults aged 18-64 years had a prevalence rate of 5.1 per 1,000 population. The following table shows the State's mental retardation prevalence rates as compared to national rates (per 1,000 population) in 1993:
| |
WA State
(per 1,000) |
National
(per 1,000) |
Children (aged 6-17) |
8.3 |
11.4 |
Adults (aged 28-64) |
5.1 |
6.6 |
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Quality of Information on Washington State
There is some information available on several developmental & neurobehavioral disabilities in Washington State, including autism, mental retardation, children with special health care needs, developmental delays, Parkinson's Disease, and behavioral problems, but the information is not consistently reported or updated. The latest information we could find on these disabilities was from 2001 (developmental delay), and some data went back as far as 1993 (mental retardation).
For conditions such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and cerebral palsy, we estimated Washington State rates using the latest national rates in conjunction with State population data.
None of the developmental disorders we researched are on the Washington State Department of Health's "Notifiable Conditions" list.
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General Information Sources
Online
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/
Collaborative for Health and the Environment: www.healthandenvironment.org/
Fighting Autism: www.fightingautism.org/
Human Services Policy Center: hspc.org/
March of Dimes: www.marchofdimes.com/home.asp
Northwest Parkinson's Foundation: www.nwpf.com/
Washington State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services: www1.dshs.wa.gov/
Washington State Office of Financial Management: www.ofm.wa.gov/
Hard Copy
Committee on Developmental Toxicology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, National Research Council. Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment. (2000). Washington DC: The National Academies Press.
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The Collaborative on Health and the Environment – Washington
