title: Causes of childhood blindness in a developing country and an underdeveloped country.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The causes of childhood blindness depend on factors such as geographic location or the human development index of the populations under study. The main causes in developed countries are genetic and hereditary diseases, while infectious and contagious diseases, together with nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, are the main causes in underdeveloped countries (UDCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Study of the causes of blindness among children admitted to a regional centre in Nador, Morocco, and among children in Mekele, Ethiopia. The study was carried out in collaboration with two non-governmental organizations based in Madrid, Spain. First, we worked with Fudación Adelias in June 2010, and with Proyecto Visión in October 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study comprised a total of 27 children in Morocco and 85 in Ethiopia. The average age of the children was 10.92 and 6.94 years, respectively. The main causes of blindness in Morocco were hereditary pathologies (25.92%) and refractive errors (14.82%), although trauma (7.40%) and corneal disease (7.40%) are relevant. Among the children from Ethiopia, corneal disease (27.05%) and trauma (20%) were the main causes of blindness, while congenital and hereditary diseases had a lower prevalence (4.70%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The causes of blindness depend on the human development index of the populations under study. While corneal disease and trauma are the main causes observed in UDCs like Ethiopia, hereditary pathologies and refractive errors are the main causes within the Moroccan population studied. A mixed form can be observed in this country, as the cause of blindness found in developed countries, such as congenital and hereditary pathologies which are present alongside the causes normally found in LDCs.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-ophthalmology unit, ophthalmology department, healthcare research unit, hospital clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Profesor Martín Lagos, S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: esbueso@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos-Bueso
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology service, hospital Sanitas La Moraleja, Avda. Prof. Martín Lagos s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dorronzoro-Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Neuro-ophthalmology unit, ophthalmology department, healthcare research unit, hospital clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Profesor Martín Lagos, S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gegúndez-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Professor of ophthalmology, university of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vinuesa-Silva
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology service, hospital Punta Europa, Carretera Getares, S/N, 11207 Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vinuesa-Silva
authors.affiliation: Neuro-ophthalmology unit, ophthalmology department, healthcare research unit, hospital clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Profesor Martín Lagos, S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009018:Morocco
keywords: Causes de cécité; Causes of blindness; Children; Corneal disease; Developing country; Les enfants; Les maladies de la cornée; Les pays les moins développés; Les traumatismes; Pays en développement; Trauma; Underdeveloped country