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Purpose: To investigate whether visually impaired women are at higher risk for adverse maternal and perinatal complications, with an emphasis on visual impairment due to autoimmune etiology., Methods: A retrospective cohort study compared obstetric, delivery complications and perinatal outcomes of patients with and without a diagnosis of visual impairment in one or both eyes. Multivariable models were conducted to control for confounders., Results: During the study period (1988-2012), 265,741 deliveries were included; of these 80 (0.03%) occurred in visually impaired patients. These patients were significantly older than the comparison group, and had higher rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and severe preeclampsia. Visually impaired women had higher rates of delivery prior to 37 weeks gestation and significantly higher rate of delivery by cesarean section (CS). A multivariable analysis model demonstrated that the risk factor for CS and packed cell transfusion in visually impaired women remained significantly high even after controlling for confounders such as maternal age, ethnicity, etc. (weighted OR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.23-3.37; p = 0.006). However, visual impairment was not an independent risk factor for congenital malformations, using another multivariable model (weighted OR = 1.96; 95% CI 0.99-3.85; p = 0.051). Perinatal outcome was comparable between the groups. The sub-group of visually impaired women due to possible autoimmune etiology was 19.4% and they had higher rates of recurrent miscarriages and CS compared to the other sub-groups., Conclusion: Visually impaired pregnant women are at high risk for CS and packed cell transfusion. Nevertheless, perinatal outcome is comparable to the general population.

We present four young patients with acute severe solar retinopathy after observation of the total eclipse on January 4, 2011 without appropriate eye protection. Funduscopic findings were accompanied by optical coherence tomography (OCT) investigation of the macula. All our patients were young (range 14-29 years). In three of the four patients we have been able to repeat OCT evaluation revealing that the retinal changes were reversible, but delineating mild pathology in the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Best-corrected visual acuity in the fourth case was 6/24. In addition, macular edema, which has been previously described in literature, could not be demonstrated by OCT. In the two cases we performed an early fluorescein angiogram, no pathology was seen., (Copyright © 2013 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Vision impairment can be a debilitating condition, affecting not only the social, emotional, mental and physical functioning of an individual, but also the individual's ability to perform basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Scant knowledge exists about visual impairment among people with mental retardation. The results of this prospective study were based on interviews and eye ophthalmologic screening of 106 adults with a moderate level of mental retardation, ranging in ages from 19 to 62 years. Findings show that only 3% of those interviewed recalled having had an eye examination, yet 24% reported that they had visual problems. In spite of the high probability of visual problems for this group, only 13% reported having glasses and 20% said they needed glasses; 92% reported watching television but 22% stated they had difficulty seeing the TV; 62% of the respondents reported that they cook for themselves but 17% reported that visual problems affected their ability to perform this activity. Medical eye screening of the participants found that 79% had ocular problems - 42% were in need of eyeglasses, 12% had a cataract problem requiring surgery and 25% needed outpatient care at the local hospital. The study findings are discussed in terms of policy implications and service provision, and recommendations are made for additional research.

Aims: To test the effectiveness of a PC computer program for detecting vision disorders which could be used by non-trained personnel, and to determine the prevalence of visual impairment in a sample population of preschool children in the city of Beer-Sheba, Israel., Methods: 292 preschool children, aged 4-6 years, were examined in the kindergarten setting, using the computer system and "gold standard" tests. Visual acuity and stereopsis were tested and compared using Snellen type symbol charts and random dot stereograms respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and kappa test were evaluated. A computer pseudo Worth four dot test was also performed but could not be compared with the standard Worth four dot test owing to the inability of many children to count., Results: Agreement between computer and gold standard tests was 83% and 97.3% for visual acuity and stereopsis respectively. The sensitivity of the computer stereogram was only 50%, but it had a specificity of 98.9%, whereas the sensitivity and specificity of the visual acuity test were 81.5% and 83% respectively. The positive predictive value of both tests was about 63%. 27.7% of children tested had a visual acuity of 6/12 or less and stereopsis was absent in 28% using standard tests. Impairment of fusion was found in 5% of children using the computer pseudo Worth four dot test., Conclusions: The computer program was found to be stimulating, rapid, and easy to perform. The wide availability of computers in schools and at home allow it to be used as an additional screening tool by non-trained personnel, such as teachers and parents, but it is not a replacement for standard testing.