Children born to parents with mild intellectual disability: Register-based follow-up of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diagnoses and out-of-home placements

Abstract

Aim: Study the outcomes in terms of registered neurodevelopmental diagnoses and out-of-home placements in children whose parents had been diagnosed with mild intellectual disability (ID) in childhood. Methods: The study groups consist of (1) a population-based sample of 78 individuals, born in 1979–1985, meeting criteria for mild ID during childhood, and (2) their 88 children. From national registers, data on outcomes were retrieved in 2020 regarding psychosocial and psychiatric outcomes for the adults, and neurodevelopmental diagnoses and out-of-home placements for the children. Results: Of the 78 adults with mild ID, 31 were parents of 88 children, aged 0–21. The age-adjusted prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders among the children was 67%. Of the 27 children aged between 13 and 21 years at follow-up, 16 had at least one registered neurodevelopmental diagnosis; 11 had ADHD and 7 had ID. Nine of these 27 children had experienced out of home placement. Conclusion: Children of parents with mild ID are at high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular ADHD and ID, and out-of-home placements. Our findings indicate that individuals with mild ID who become parents routinely should be offered individually tailored parent support and their children offered assessment regard neurodevelopmental disorders.