Visual impairment in childhood: insights from a community-based survey

Authors:
FLANAGAN N.M., JACKSON A.J., HILL A.E.
Journal article citation:
Child: Care, Health and Development, 29(6), November 2003, pp.493-499.
Publisher:
Wiley

Aimed to produce a profile of visual impairment (VI) in childhood with a view to informing future services and raise awareness of the need for comprehensive assessment including developmental remediation and educational advice, against the background that the concept of VI in childhood has changed over the last 30 years. The number of children with an isolated visual problem has decreased and the numbers with VI and coexisting neurological disability has increased. Seventy-six children with VI were identified from multiple sources including hospital and community paediatricians and statutory blind registers giving a childhood prevalence of 1.61 per 1,000. Thirty-two per cent had a normal pattern of development. Global delays/severe learning difficulty were found in 43%. Only 21% had an isolated VI. Additional medical problems were present in 79% of which cerebral palsy, occurring in 33%, was the most common. Nine per cent were classified as totally blind. Cortical visual impairment was diagnosed in 45%. Twenty-two per cent were registered blind or partially sighted. Most cases of VI in children did not appear on the statutory blind or partially sighted registers, thus these have limited value for service development. The practice implications highlight the need for early assessment and advice from a co-ordinated team to optimise visual potential in childhood.

Subject terms:
physical disabilities, registers, visual impairment, children;
Content type:
research
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1365-2214
ISSN print:
0305-1862

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