Pediatrics

ObjectiveTo study the national prevalence of ten developmental disabilities in US children aged 3\u201317 years and explore changes over time by associated demographic and socioeconomic characteristics using the 2009\u20132017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).MethodsData come from the NHIS, a nationally-representative survey of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. Parents reported physician or other health care professional diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); autism spectrum disorder (ASD); blindness; cerebral palsy; moderate to profound hearing loss; learning disability (LD); intellectual disability (ID); seizures; stuttering or stammering; and other developmental delays. Weighted percentages for each of the selected developmental disabilities and any developmental disability were calculated between 2009\u20132017 and stratified by selected demographic/socioeconomic characteristics.ResultsFrom 2009\u20132011 to 2015\u20132017, there were overall significant increases in the prevalence of any developmental disability (16.2% to 17.8%, p<.001), ADHD (8.5% to 9.5%, p<.01), ASD (1.1% to 2.5%, p<.001), and ID (0.9% to 1.2%, p<.05), but a significant decrease for any other developmental delay (4.7% to 4.1%, p<.05). The prevalence of any developmental disability increased among boys, children ages 12\u201317, non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children, children with private insurance only, and children with birthweights 652,500 grams. An increase in prevalence of any developmental disability was also seen for children living in urban areas and with less educated mothers.ConclusionsThe prevalence of developmental disability among US children aged 3\u201317 years increased between 2009\u20132017. Changes by demographic and socioeconomic subgroups may be related to improvements in awareness and access to health care.20192020-10-01T00:00:00ZCC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHS/United States31558576PMC7076808859