Changes in life expectancy of mentally retarded persons in Canadian institutions: a 12-year comparison.

A 12-year comparison of changes in the distribution of age, sex and level of functioning, as well as in life expectancy for mentally retarded persons in Canadian institutions has been reported. The major findings of the study corroborate, for the most part, studies from other parts of the developed world despite differences in measures of mortality. Several trends have emerged from the data which will have implications for long-term planning.