title: Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in the Republic of Suriname.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) and to identify preventable and treatable causes.
  
  
  METHODS
  4643 children under 16 years of age were recruited from two locations: 33 children attending the only school for the blind were examined and 4610 medical records were analysed at an eye clinic. Data have been collected using the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record for children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  65 children were identified with SVI/BL, 58.5% were blind and 41.5% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major anatomical site of SVI/BL was the retina in 33.8%, lens in 15.4% and normal appearing globe in 15.4%. The major underlying aetiology of SVI/BL was undetermined in 56.9% (mainly cataract and abnormality since birth) and perinatal factors 21.5% (mainly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)). Avoidable causes of SVI/BL accounted for 40% of cases; 7.7% were preventable and 32.3% were treatable with cataracts and ROP the most common causes (15.4% and 12.3%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than a third of the SVI/BL causes are potentially avoidable, with childhood cataract and ROP the leading causes. Corneal scarring from vitamin A deficiency does not seem to be a continuing issue in Suriname.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Orbital Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Astrid Anna Maria
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Heijthuijsen
authors.forename: Victoria Apollonia Annemarie
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Beunders
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiawan
authors.forename: Anne-Marie Bueno
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Mesquita-Voigt
authors.forename: Jerrel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawiroredjo
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourits
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanck
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verhoeff
authors.forename: Peerooz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saeed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013532:Suriname / Q000453:epidemiology; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Child health (paediatrics); Epidemiology; Public health; Vision