[Survey of childhood handicaps in the Unità Sanitaria Locale No. 22 "Valtiberina"].

An epidemiological research about the infantile handicaps has been carried out to make a quantitative and etiological valuation of the existing cases in the social, economic and cultural sphere of U.S.L. number 22 "Valtiberina". Considering an infantile population of 5,063 subjects, 55 cases, corresponding to 1.08% have been examined; 32 of them are male children and 23 are female children. The research which has been carried out shows that there are more cases of psychological handicaps (35 cases out of 55) rather than of organic handicaps. It seems that it is possible to find a connection between this high percentage and the social, economic and cultural situation of the territory. At the same time an efficacious work has been carried out by the Social and Medical Services of U.S.L. and by the school to recognise, to point out, to diagnose and to study these pathologies. Such a study can result useful if we want to plan a campaign to prevent and to treat as soon as possible the infantile handicaps.