Congenital anomalies associated with cerebral palsy and mental retardation.

In the past 12 years 800 children with mental retardation or with cerebral palsy have been seen in the Children's Hospital, Sheffield, by the Department of Child Health. While looking through punch-card summaries of these cases, it became obvious that there was a much higher incidence of associated congenital anomalies in children with mental retardation without cerebral palsy than in those with cerebral palsy whether retarded or not. In view of the fact that in many ways there is a close similarity between the aetiological factors of the two conditions, it was felt that an analysis of the associated anomalies and their incidence in the two groups would be of interest. This paper analyses, therefore, the incidence and nature of associated congenital anomalies in the two groups of children.