Mortality and Causes of Death in Pervasive Development Disorders

In the present study, the authors rediagnosed & followed a clinical sample of 341 children with related pervasive developmental disorders for an average of 24 years. At the end of that period, 12 patients had died. For the whole group crude mortality was 3.5%. 2 patients were reported as having died by suicide. The distribution between natural causes & unnatural causes of death (including suicide), resembled the pattern seen in a background population of adolescents & younger adults. Further findings are discussed. (24 refs)