The Distribution of Known Disability Factors In Families of Children with Physical or Mental Disability in Khomeyni-Shahr

The current study, which is a descriptive – analytical study, was conducted to investigate the distribution of known disability-causing factors in families with physically and mentally disabled children in Khomeyni-Shahr County.Method & Material: Stratified random sampling was done to select 252 disabled individuals. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire containing 35 questions. T-test and Chi square were used to analyze the data. Most of the mothers had blood relations with their husbands (56.7%), and 27.8% of them had been physically abused during their pregnancies. 21.8% had had accidents during their pregnancies and had incurred trauma to the abdomen. 66.7% had not received specialized prenatal care. Most (67.9%) mothers were unaware of the risk of cousin marriage, and 77% were unaware of the risk of pregnancy after the age of 35. Mostly (69.9%) they did not know that they should not take medications without prescription. 48% had experienced psychological problems during their pregnancies. 40.1% had gone through difficult and lengthy labors. 27.8% of the disabled subjects had had some accident during their infancy and 43.3% of them had experienced febrile convulsions during their infancy. There were significant associations between cousin marriages and the numbers of disabled individuals (p<0.01) and cultural factors (p<0.001) in this county. Hence, a great share of disability prevention programs should focus on the establishment and expansion of Genetic Counseling centers. Furthermore, all-encompassing facilities should be developed for marriage and prenatal counseling and mothers and fathers alike should receive the necessary training.