Motherhood, intellectual disability and child protection: characteristics of a court sample

Attitudes still prevail in society that children of mothers who have an intellectual disability may be at increased risk of neglect or abuse. The present study retrospectively examined Children's Court Clinic case notes and records of 12 families before the Court on child protection grounds, in which the mother had a documented intellectual disability. Predominantly neglect rather than abuse was alleged. Mothers frequently had a history of deprivation, neglect or sexual abuse in their own childhoods. A high prevalence of co-morbidity, such as drug abuse, psychiatric or medical disorder, was a significant finding in these mothers. Fathers were often absent, but when involved, many were ill equipped to help because of intellectual or health problems. Possible risk factors within the child were high levels of developmental delay and multiple handicap. Findings suggest that the cumulative weight of stressful emotional, physical and social factors, in combination with limited intellectual resources, precipitated a crisis in child care.