ABSTRACT
Developmental disabilities are among the most important child health problems in the US.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 17% of
children have a developmental disability and 2% have a “severe” disability requiring
special education. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 3-7% of children
have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with higher rates reported in some
communities. According to the CDC, as many as 6 in 1000 children have some form of
autism spectrum disorder. The identification of preventable causes of such developmental
and learning disabilities is crucial to their prevention. For example, lower levels of folate
have been linked to neural tube defects and rates of this birth defect have sharply declined
since the introduction of folic acid supplements into the U.S. diet.
