Blindness in children at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the causes of blindness at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf, Karachi, Pakistan.


METHODS
A cross sectional study was conducted at the Ida Rieu School for the blind and deaf. The data collected from medical record of students was entered into the WHO/PBL eye examination form for children with blindness and low vision.


RESULTS
Records of 144 pupils aged between 4-30 years were reviewed, including 67% males and 33% females. One third (31%) children had visual impairment (< 6/18-6/60) and 69% were blind (< 3/60-NPL). The commonest anatomical site was retina (41%) and whole globe (20%). The etiology was unknown in 49% cases. In 33% of cases, the data suggested hereditary cause as the etiology, 40% of cases were preventable and 13% treatable.


CONCLUSIONS
Avoidable causes of blindness were seenin 53% of children, 58% of which were preventable and 19 were treatable.
Khan
Sadia Javed
SJ
Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Hassan
Afshan
A
Khalid
Laila
L
Karim
Uzma
U
Hashmi
Erum
E
Gul
Fariha
F
Jehan
Imtiaz
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012409:Rubella / Q000150:complications; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications