Aim: To describe trends over time and types of disability for children born in a French county from 1980 to 1991.
Methods: Data were collected from medical records of a morbidity register; disabled children with at least one severe deficiency have been included. Prevalence rates are given per 1000 resident children, over four three-year periods.
Results: Overall, 7.73 per 1000 children (that is, 1360 children), had a severe childhood disability, and the prevalence rate had increased significantly since 1980. This increase was mainly owing to an increase in cerebral palsy and psychiatric disorder prevalence rates.
Conclusion: Future research aimed to explain these trends over time can be based on such data. The present knowledge is useful for planning purposes.