Background: Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is a subset of pneumonia caused by the aspiration of food and fluids to the lungs and is highly prevalent in the older population. Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is one of the risk factors for AP and it is also associated with malnutrition, dehydration and poor functional outcomes. As pneumonia is the second…

Background: People with epilepsy and intellectual disability should be considered at high risk of developing metabolic bone disease. Risk is increased with number of comorbidities and polypharmacy, particularly anti-seizure medications. One way of improving bone health is to ensure that every one has adequate levels of vitamin D through…

Objectives: Aminoacidopathies are inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) that cause intellectual disability in children. Luckily, aminoacidopathies are potentially treatable, if diagnosed earlier in life. The focus of this study was the screening of aminoacidopathies in a cohort of patients suspected for IEMs. Methods: Blood samples from healthy (IQ…

Objectives: To determine whether actual community-level risk for COVID-19 in the Black community influenced "individual" perceptions of community-level and personal risk and how self-assessment of personal risk was reflected in the adoption of COVID-19 precautionary behaviors. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20…

Appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in children and can lead to significant complications. The aim of our study was to determine whether children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at increased risk for appendicitis and its complications compared to neurotypical (NT) peers. From 2000 to 2013, 292,572 children were included…

Background: We now have sufficient evidence demonstrating inequalities in specific avoidable causes of death for adults with intellectual disability compared to their peers without intellectual disability. Apart from COVID-19, the largest differentials that disadvantage people with intellectual disability are in relation to pneumonia, aspiration…

Living with a long-term medical condition is associated with heightened risk for mental health and psychosocial difficulties, but further research is required on this risk for children and adolescents with a rare disease in the educational setting. The aim of this study is to describe parents' perceptions of the psychosocial impact of rare…

This intervention study aimed to assess mothers' knowledge of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). It also measured the impact of a health education program on their level of knowledge and their infants' IDA rates in rural areas of Nablus Governorate. Using a randomized pretest--posttest control group design, the efficacy of 3 months' education program…

Children are at risk of short- and long-term morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. We examine whether autistic children and children with mental health conditions have higher odds of underlying health conditions at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19. We use claims data from a national sample of Medicaid-enrolled children for the years…

Background: Sepsis is a common cause of death within the general population and the third most common cause of death for people with a learning disability, suggesting an increased vulnerability or different trajectory within this population. Despite this, there is currently no research into the direct lived experiences of people with a learning…

Objective: The goal of this study was to report on the development and early usability of a new interactive mHealth app for reducing cardiovascular risk in primary care patients of low socioeconomic status attending clinics in Chile. Design: Mixed-methods design with qualitative and quantitative components. Setting: Three Chilean primary care…

Several studies have shown a strong association between atopic diseases and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the risk of atopic diseases in individuals having ASD-affected siblings has never been investigated. This nationwide population-based cohort study included 2762 individuals with ASD-affected siblings and 11,048 controls. Diagnoses…

Background: Research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population. The aim of this study was to identify barriers for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease for people with intellectual disabilities. Method: We conducted individual…

Background: Older people with intellectual disability (ID) are at high risk of incidents leading to hospital visits. Method: Through national registers, 7936 people with ID, aged 55+ years in 2012, and a same-aged referent cohort from the general population were identified. Information on diagnoses made in inpatient and outpatient specialist…

In the United States, death certificates document pre-existing conditions only when they directly contribute to a death. This precludes generating data in the event of a suicide involving a blind or visually impaired individual and for that reason existing suicide data is scarce for this population. This Grounded Theory study, with the…