Mental retardation is "significantly sub-average general intellectual function with defects in adaptive behavior, manifested during the developmental period." There are more than 200 known causes of mental retardation. Although currently it is not possible to prevent some persons from being mentally retarded, it is now both feasible and necessary to diminish its incidence. President Nixon noted that if all existing knowledge in our field was wholly applied and utilized, we might prevent half of all new case s of mental retardation. He challenged Americans to join with him in his pledge "to reduce by half, the occurrence of mental retardation in the United States before the end of this century." If we are to meet this challenge, we must grasp and draw fully upon the strengths of our private and public agencies. Persons may have mild, moderate or profound mental retardation and they, their families and society, suffer in proportion to the nature and severity of the intellectual impairments.

It is essential that the Commonwealth of Virginia actively undertake programs to prevent mental retardation in order to be properly responsible to its citizens, to fulfill its humanitarian aim to reduce suffering and improve the quality of life and to relieve its taxpayers of the financial drain upon public monies which each unnecessary instance of mental retardation now necessitates.

Effective reduction of the frequency of mental retardation will require cooperation and coordination of state agencies, local agencies, physicians, social welfare persons, educators, and others. Mental retardation presents a major social, educational, health and economic problem and intimately affects one out of every ten persons in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mental retardation creates problems currently dealt with by persons and programs in the Departments of Health, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Welfare, Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and other state services. The fragmentation of responsibility hinders comprehensive planning and contributes to suboptimal coordination and efficiency. We urge the Governor to develop a Coordinator of Programs for Prevention of Mental Retardation to facilitate cooperative efforts, develop new programs, gather information and evaluate existing programs.

The Health Department already has the knowledge and ability to prevent many cases of mental retardation. It is tragically understaffed and underfunded. Extension of public health programs to reduce mental retardation is one of the strongest recommendations of this Committee. Mental retardation is very expensive. It is false economy to attempt to save money by being irresponsible to public health, while at the same time, necessarily spending tax dollars to take care of the problems created by poor preventive medicine. Some illustrative cost figures are included on Appendix A, page 32 and throughout this report.

Currently, the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia are poorly informed about means for reducing mental retardation. It is important that every prospective family have access to appropriate information and guidance in the planning, nurture and protection of its members. Families may proceed with greater caution when provided with information such as:

Limiting pregnancies to ages 18 through 35 would eliminate a vast amount of mental retardation, including two-thirds of the cases of Down's Syndrome (Mongolism).

Diabetes is dangerous to the unborn infant with a high risk of brain damage. The risk is so severe that one out of four babies die in the womb if the mother is not under excellent medical supervision.

Prior to recently improved management and preventive techniques, up to 10,000 babies per year were stillborn due to Rh blood disease. 20,000 now are at risk for developmental disabilities, some of which can be detected before birth.

Through early diagnosis and treatment, mental retardation can be prevented in newborns with PKU and similar conditions.

The Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation has a significant opportunity and responsibility to inform the citizens of Virginia about mental retardation. The Department should undertake a major campaign of publicity and education to create a climate in which positive steps can be taken. Extensive, continuing effort must be undertaken to educate laymen, physicians, legislators, educators, social welfare persons, school children, current and prospective parents and others. Publicity and education are the primary requirements to decrease the incidence of mental retardation. We feel that adequate information will lead to increased demand for services which, in turn, will justify increased expenditures of the funds which are mandatory to reduce mental retardation and save the state money in so doing.

The grief, loss of human potential and cost of this affliction is untold. Much of it can be prevented; the effects of all of it can be reduced. Let the Commonwealth of Virginia apply that which is known and begin now to reach for that which is not yet understood.