Several studies in pediatric neuroepidemiology are ongoing: 1) a study of mental retardation is being conducted in Rochester. Minnesota, using their records-linkage system. The objectives of this study are to determine the incidence of mental retardation, temporal trends in incidence and risk factors for mental retardation in this population. This study has been delayed pending approval of funding and staffing at the Mayo Clinic; 2) analysis of case-control data for putative predictors of febrile seizures is being conducted, based on a data set from six cities from the People's Republic of China; 3) the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program. In conjunction with the Health Officers Association of California, is establishing a population-based registry of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in five San Francisco Bay Area counties, for monitoring of trends in incidence and for the creation of a case-control registry for studies of suspected etiologic factors, medical and environmental; 4) NINCDS participants were involved in the analysis phase of a randomized controlled clinical trial undertaken in the NICHD to evaluate the safety and efficacy of phototherapy in the prevention/reduction of hyperbilirubinemia in the neonate. We investigated the frequency of adverse outcomes. Most of them neurological, in this sample at followup examination at six years of age; and 5) the records of children with cerebral palsy were identified among the files of a system for recognizing the dependents of military personnel who need special medical attention. Records of prenatal history and birth were identified for those children and for children with non- CP conditions requiring medical care. Risk factors for CP will be explored in that material.
