Mental retardation in children.

Mental retardation is one of the serious problems of childhood. According to the American Association on Mental Deficiency, quoted by Hungerford and associates, 1 7% of the school population suffers from some type of mental retardation. Every mentally retarded child presents medical problems to a greater or lesser degree. In this paper we shall discuss some of the most important medical phases of the subject. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our data were obtained at the clinic for mentally retarded children of the Dr. Julian D. Levinson Research Foundation. In our series of 150 cases, there were 104 white children, 45 Negroes, and 1 Mexican. Table 1 illustrates the distribution of patients as to sex, race, and length of gestation. The patients were investigated from the following standpoints: The time the retardation was first recognized, the length of gestation, the type of delivery, and the length of labor were determined. A history