CDC report says three in 1,000 children have Tourette's syndrome

From The Wall Street Journal Health Blog:

Three children in 1,000 have Tourette’s syndrome, a neurologic disorder characterized by motor and vocal “tics,” according to the first national estimate of the number of children who suffer from the condition from the Centers for Disease Control. That translates to about 148,000 children in the U.S.

Tourette’s has a genetic component and often starts in childhood. The severity of the disorder tends to go down after adolescence, according to the CDC. Kids with Tourette’s frequently experience problems with their academic work and in relationships.

Previous estimates had ranged from 0.1% to 3% of individuals, reflecting differences in sames and how numbers were collected. The new figures came from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, the nationwide telephone survey of the parents’ of 64,034 children under age 18.

Parents were asked if their child had ever been diagnosed with Tourette’s and how severe it was. The majority — 79% — of those kids who had been diagnosed with Tourette’s had also been diagnosed with at least one other mental health or neurologic condition, the survey found.