Childhood visual impairment and blindness: 5-year data from a tertiary low vision center in Israel.
Eye (Lond)
; 36(10): 2052-2056, 2022 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34426656
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
To assess the main causes leading to childhood visual impairment/blindness in a center for low vision in Israel and to analyze the literature on pediatric blinding diseases in developed countries.METHODS:
Retrospective study based on observational case series. Data were obtained from medical records of visually impaired children, seen at a national referral low vision center. Children were divided into two groups moderate visual impairment (6/18 to 6/60) and severe visual impairment (SVI)/blindness (<6/60). Inherited eye diseases (IED) were grouped together for analysis. Data from the Israeli blind registry from the same period of time were analyzed for comparison. A review of literature on childhood blindness in developed countries since 2000 was conducted.RESULTS:
A total of 1393 children aged 0-18 years were included in the study. Moderate visual impairment was seen in 1025 (73.6%) and SVI/blindness in 368 (26.4%) of the studied children. Among blind children, IED accounted for at least 51% of all diagnoses, including mainly albinism and retinal dystrophies. IED prevalence was equally high in both main ethnic groups (Jewish and Arab Muslims). Non-IED (22.6%) included mainly patients with cerebral visual impairment and retinopathy of prematurity.CONCLUSIONS:
The leading cause of childhood visual impairment and blindness in our patient cohort was IED. Analyses of the literature from the last two decades show that IED are a major cause for SVI/childhood blindness in other developed countries as well. Updated patterns of global childhood blindness may suggest a need for new approach for screening programs and modern tactics for prevention.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Oftalmopatias Hereditárias
/
Baixa Visão
/
Pessoas com Deficiência Visual
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Humans
/
Newborn
País como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article