Survival in Mental Retardation

Survival and causes of death of 429 subjects with mental handicap were examined by following 212 inpatient and 217 outpatient subjects for twenty years or until death. Survival analysed in terms of aetiology showed that congenital malformations and acquired postnatal disorders were associated with increasing mortality. There was a sigificant difference in survival between institutionalised and non‐institutionalised people and a very significant difference in survival between long‐term institutional residents and subjects living at home with their parents. Epilepsy shortened the life expectancy significantly among subjects living outside the institution, especially in hostels. The most frequent immediate cause of death, both within and outside institution, were bronchopneumonia, cardiovascular disease and epileptic seizures.