Search

Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) often have long-term eye abnormalities. Researchers followed 25 children with FAS for a median of 11 years and compared changes in vision and eye abnormalities, home environments, and educational progress. Ninety-two percent of the children had some form of structural eye abnormality and 76% had underdeveloped optic nerves. Only one child had no eye abnormalities. All of the structural abnormalities within the eye remained throughout the follow-up period. Four children with crossed eyes had successful operations. There was no improvement in the vision of those children who initially had poor eyesight. Eighteen children required assistance in mainstream schools or attended schools for the mentally retarded, two could not attend school due to severe mental retardation, and only three developed normally and had a normal education. Ten of the mothers died either of alcohol related diseases or disappeared., Background. The eye is a sensitive indicator of adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Anomalies of the eyes and their adnexa are known to be associated with the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), although long-term effects of these malformations are unknown. Design. A prospective ophthalmologic follow-up (median, 11 years; range, 4 to 19 years) was performed in 25 children with FAS. Their social situation and educational status were also investigated. Results. All but one of the children had ophthalmologic abnormalities. Fundus anomalies were observed in 23 children, of whom 19 had optic nerve hypoplasia. Thirteen children had concomitant strabismus. Microphthalmos, buphthalmos, phthisis, microcornea, coloboma of the iris and uvea, blepharoptosis, cataract, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, and nystagmus were observed in single cases. The dysmorphology of the eyes remained unchanged during the follow-up period. In 2 children with severe mental retardation and, initially, very poor vision, the severe visual handicap persisted. Seventeen children had an initial visual acuity 220/70, which remained unchanged in 10 children and improved in 7 children, despite the presence of optic nerve hypoplasia in 14 of the children. Ten mothers died, 8 of them because of alcohol-related diseases, and only 4 of the mothers were able to take care of their children. Sixteen children went to schools for the mentally retarded, and only 3 children had a normal school education without extra teaching assistance. Conclusions. In children with FAS, the major sequela, ie, brain damage, remains despite extensive medical, educational, and social support. The presence of ophthalmic signs, which persisted but did not deteriorate during the follow-up period, strengthens the diagnosis of FAS, and the high frequency of ocular involvement indicates the importance of a complete ophthalmologic evaluation in children with FAS. Pediatrics 1996;97:845-850; fetal alcohol syndrome, eye malformations, optic nerve hypoplasia, teratology, socioeducational factors., ABBREVIATIONS. FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome; FAE, fetal alcohol effects. In 1967 and 1968, data were published from France that showed a relationship between maternal alcohol abuse and damage to the [...]

The new standardized form for recording the causes of visual loss in children is accompanied by coding instructions and by a database for statistical analysis. The aim is to record the causes of childhood visual loss, with an emphasis on preventable and treatable causes, so that appropriate control measured can be planned. With this standardized methodology, it will be possible to monitor the changing patterns of childhood blindness over a period of time in response to changes in health care services, specific interventions, and socioeconomic development., Introduction A standard classification for reporting the categories of visual loss was developed in 1975 and has been widely used to facilitate the comparison of data from different locations [1]. [...]

More deaf people are affected by vision loss than other populations. Usher's syndrome was identified as the cause of vision loss among 22% of the deaf population studied. Teachers should adapt their instructional methods to the needs of students who suffer from the loss of hearing and vision, which ultimately affect academic achievement.

Aims: To assess the aetiological factors associated with the occurrence of perforating ocular injuries in children in an urban setting and to assess the visual outcomes of such injuries. Methods: [...]

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between different lighting conditions experienced during sleep in the first two years of life and development of myopia after age two as reported retrospectively by parents in a total of 469 individuals, including 252 children aged 2-16 yr., and 217 adults aged 17-40 yr. There were no significant differences in incidence of myopia in children who had slept from 0-2 yr. in darkness, with a night light, room light, or hall light. Adults who were reported by their parents to have slept with a night light on from 0-2 yr. were significantly more likely to be myopic than those who were reported to have slept from 0-2 yr. in any other lighting condition.