Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines

Objective: To identify the avoidable causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment in a school of the blind in the Philippines. Methods: The medical records of students enrolled at the Resources for the Blind early intervention and preschool program from 1999 to 2012 were reviewed. Demograp...

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Main Authors: Paul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD, Carlos Emmanuel M. Chua, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology 2015-06-01
Series:Philippine Journal of Ophthalmology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://paojournal.com/index.php/pjo/article/view/180
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author Paul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD
Carlos Emmanuel M. Chua, MD
author_facet Paul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD
Carlos Emmanuel M. Chua, MD
author_sort Paul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To identify the avoidable causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment in a school of the blind in the Philippines. Methods: The medical records of students enrolled at the Resources for the Blind early intervention and preschool program from 1999 to 2012 were reviewed. Demographic characteristics and causes of visual disability were abstracted and tabulated. Results: A total of 90 records were included in the study. Eighty six (76.7%) had visual acuity classified as blind (<20/400) or severe visual impairment (<20/200 - 20/400, 18.9%). Majority (69.8%) were below 6 years of age and most (44.2%) were below 1 year. Retinopathy of prematurity was the most common cause (47.7%), followed by retinoblastoma (11.6%). Perinatal factors accounted for most of the etiologic causes (58.1%) of visual loss. Conclusion: More than half of the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness were potentially avoidable, with retinopathy of prematurity as the leading etiology.
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spelling doaj-art-34a884102f204d5ca188cd366e302b4f2025-08-20T03:44:14ZengPhilippine Academy of OphthalmologyPhilippine Journal of Ophthalmology0031-76592015-06-014014146180Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the PhilippinesPaul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD0Carlos Emmanuel M. Chua, MD1International Eye Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center 279 E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd., Quezon City, PhilippinesInternational Eye Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center 279 E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd., Quezon City, PhilippinesObjective: To identify the avoidable causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment in a school of the blind in the Philippines. Methods: The medical records of students enrolled at the Resources for the Blind early intervention and preschool program from 1999 to 2012 were reviewed. Demographic characteristics and causes of visual disability were abstracted and tabulated. Results: A total of 90 records were included in the study. Eighty six (76.7%) had visual acuity classified as blind (<20/400) or severe visual impairment (<20/200 - 20/400, 18.9%). Majority (69.8%) were below 6 years of age and most (44.2%) were below 1 year. Retinopathy of prematurity was the most common cause (47.7%), followed by retinoblastoma (11.6%). Perinatal factors accounted for most of the etiologic causes (58.1%) of visual loss. Conclusion: More than half of the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness were potentially avoidable, with retinopathy of prematurity as the leading etiology.https://paojournal.com/index.php/pjo/article/view/180childhood blindnesssevere visual impairmentschool for the blindretinopathy of prematurity
spellingShingle Paul Samuel V. Del Mundo, MD
Carlos Emmanuel M. Chua, MD
Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
Philippine Journal of Ophthalmology
childhood blindness
severe visual impairment
school for the blind
retinopathy of prematurity
title Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
title_full Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
title_fullStr Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
title_full_unstemmed Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
title_short Causes of Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment among Children Enrolled in an Early Intervention and Preschool Program of a School for the Blind in the Philippines
title_sort causes of blindness and severe visual impairment among children enrolled in an early intervention and preschool program of a school for the blind in the philippines
topic childhood blindness
severe visual impairment
school for the blind
retinopathy of prematurity
url https://paojournal.com/index.php/pjo/article/view/180
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