Mothers with intellectual limitations and their 2-year-old children’s developmental outcomes

The aims of this study were to describe and to quantify the risk for developmental delay in young children born to mothers with intellectual limitations and to control for the confounding effects of poverty. This prospective two group study compared 38 low income mothers with intellectual limitations and 32 low income mothers without intellectual limitations. Groups were matched for age, race, and parity or the number of pregnancies carried to the point of viability. A multimethod research design emphasized longitudinal, observational, and casefinding strategies. The primary focus was a mother-child dyad through assessments in the home during the child's first 2 years of life. Developmental delay was identified by the age of 2 years in 42 % of children born to mothers with intellectual limitations and 12 % of children born to mothers without intellectual limitations. Results supported previous research that found that children born to mothers with intellectual limitations were more likely to experience developmental disability. Results suggest that poverty is not a main effect risk factor for children born to mothers with intellectual limitations. Some mothers with intellectual limitations need specific parenting support to promote the development of their children.