BACKGROUND/AIMS In terms of blind-person years, the worldwide burden of childhood blindness is second only to cataracts. In many developing countries, 30-72% of childhood blindness is avoidable. The authors conducted this study to determine the causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment (VI) in Botswana, a middle-income country with limited access to ophthalmic care. METHODS This stu...

PURPOSE To summarize the available data on pediatric blinding disease worldwide and to present current information on childhood blindness in the United States. METHODS A systematic search of world literature published since 1999 was conducted. Data also were solicited from each state school for the blind in the United States. RESULTS In developing countries, 7% to 31% of childhood blindness...

AIM The survey aimed to identify the major treatable or preventable causes of visual loss in children attending blind schools in Sri Lanka so that appropriate control measures can be implemented. METHOD A total of 226 children with blindness (BL) or severe visual impairment (SVI) attending six schools for the blind were examined and details recorded using the WHO standard reporting form. RE...

Dear Editor, Blindness is defined by the World Health Organization as visual acuity of less than 3/60 in the better eye. Overall, 39 million people are blind worldwide, out of which 1.4 million are children (less than 14 years of age). 1 Childhood blindness deserves public health attention as more than 50% of cases are avoidable, meaning that if effective measures are taken, quality of life can...

We studied 187 patients attending special educational institutions in Saudi Arabia who were blind before the age of 14. All patients underwent complete ophthalmological evaluation. The visual acuity in 31% of the patients was no light perception and in 58% light perception to counting fingers at 3 feet (1 m). 70% were blind before age 2. Prior to 1962 acquired diseases led to blindness in 75% o...