Current Situation in Planning and Evaluation of Etiological Genetic Tests in Children with Developmental Delay/Intellectual Disability: Single Center Experience

Abstract

Objective: Developmental delay (DD) and intellectual disability (ID) are a phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous group of diseases. Genetic causes constitute an important part of the underlying etiology of DD/ID cases. Our aim in this study was to investigate the data on the genetic diagnosis rates of cases with DD/ID. Materials and Methods: Hospital records of 578 cases aged 0-6 years, who were referred to developmental tests between January 2020 and December 2020 with a preliminary diagnosis of DD/EY, were retrospectively analyzed. The results of genetic tests for these cases were evaluated. Results: The rate of cases with DD/ID as a result of the developmental test was 68.3%. Among the cases diagnosed as DD/ID, the rate of the cases who applied to the genetic polyclinic was 7.4%. As a result of the applied genetic tests, the rate of detection of genetic variants associated with DD/ID was 37.9%. Conclusion: Restrictions on genetic evaluation and access to genetic tests in neurodevelopmental disorders are an important problem all over the world. In our study, the rate of referral to genetics of DD/ID cases was found to be low when compared to the data of many available countries. In our country, health policies that can be implemented throughout the country are needed in order to provide appropriate genetic counseling for cases diagnosed with DD/ID, to determine the prognosis, and to provide primary protection for future generations.