Retarded Infants

Mary Ann Gibson, born in Los Angeles six months ago, took her .formula contentedly, like any normal infant. Her father, William Gibson. 31, a plumber, thought his child was doing just fine. But his wife knew better: Louise Gibson, 23, had given birth to four children by a previous marriage, and realized that Mary Ann, for all her being a "good baby," was not normal. She was dwarfish and weak.

Two months ago, when Mary Ann developed a cold and fever, the Gibsons' family doctor advised the parents to take her to Los Angeles' Childrens Hospital. Through their stethoscopes, pediatricians at the hospital heard the peculiar swish that signifies heart murmur. They noted other symptoms: sallow face, slanted eyes, puffy abdomen, great toes widely separated from the other toes, a pronounced line down the soles of both feet, flabby muscles, and a protruding tongue. The dread diagnosis: Mongolism.*

To the Age of 20. At Childrens Hospital, the Gibsons were referred to the Mental Retardation Clinic--one of 33 similar clinics in the U.S., most founded in recent years to spot and, when possible, to combat the tragic cases of mental retardation in infants (there are about 1,000,000 such cases in the U.S.). The Los Angeles clinic's director, Dr. Richard Koch. 34, and consultant. Dr. Arthur H. Parmelee Sr.. 73, checked Mary Ann's physical history, tested her for motor ability, environmental adaptiveness and awareness. Dr. Parmelee told the parents that Mary Ann will be able to learn to dress and feed herself and play with other children, but at best will attain only the mentality of a six-or seven-year-old. The father blurted out: "I'll take bets on that, doctor. That baby's going to be all right! And there's no Orientals in our family."

Dr. Parmelee explained that Mongolism may occur in any family--that parents are not to blame. Studies indicate that injuries of unknown origin during prenatal life--most likely near the eighth week of pregnancy--may be the cause.

The M.R. Clinic, organized in 1953, is now studying 50 retarded children under five, observing their activities and actually treating some afflictions. For Mongolism, however, the commonest single cause of mental retardation in infants, there is no cure. The doctors can only hope that careful studies will give them insight into its causes. In the meantime, they can treat many of its physical symptoms. Physicians use antibiotics to combat the susceptibility of Mongoloids to infections. Surgeons may correct heart conditions, the chief cause of debility and death. In 1900, Mongoloids rarely lived beyond infancy. A Mongoloid born in 1956 may expect to reach 20 years.

Advice for Parents. The clinic's advice to parents of Mongoloid children: even though the child will eventually be committed to an institution, keep him in the home as long as possible. In early years, Mongoloids are happy, playful and easily manageable. It is often the parents who need treatment. As a "parent counselor," Dr. Koch has to deal with marital tensions. "The problem is that these women don't want to have children again, and it often causes sexual incompatibility. I urge them to have children. It takes their guilt feelings away."

It is with other forms of mental retardation that the clinic is making most headway. If caught in time, some afflictions can be treated. Examples: P: A two-year-old girl with an undernourished brain resulting from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) was put on a high-protein diet, given ACTH. Results: fewer convulsions, better mentality. P: A two-year-old girl with an undersized head and a severe mental retardation was brought for examination and treatment. X rays showed that the crevices which separated her skull bones had fused prematurely. Result: the growth of her brain was restricted in a viselike hemisphere. Dr. Koch recommended surgery to reestablish the crevices, hoped this would leave only a slight mental defect.

* A term coined in 1866 by English Physician Langdon Down, because of the child's Oriental appearance. Modern pediatricians are trying to introduce a more precise term: congenital acromicria, which means underdevelopment of skull and extremities at birth. The condition occurs frequently in Caucasians (once in every 500-700 births), less frequently among Negroes--and rarely among Mongols.

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