A Study on the Pattern of Blindness in Children of A Blind School in Manipur

This study was done to find out the different causes of blindness in children residing in Manipur and also to take measures to prevent complete loss of vision in order to reduce the burden to the family members and society. A total of 40 children from 5 to 20 years enrolled in a blind school were examined in detail. The children underwent visual acuity estimation, external ocular examination and fundoscopy. Among the 40 students, 10 students had visual acuity less than 3/60 and less than 1/60 in 30 students. The most common causes of blindness were congenital anomalies, cataract and corneal scarring. The aetiology was unknown in 2.5 %. Over all 70 % of the children had avoidable blindness which was either treatable or preventable. The major avoidable causes in this study were congenital cataract, vitamin A deficiency and glaucoma. In developing country like India, blindness is still a significant public health problem. Cases of easily treatable blindness is high so to reduce the blindness we require specialised, paediatric ophthalmology units, systems for early identification and referral and increased public awareness. We conclude that early detection and treatment can save a childs vision and future