UK Child Blindness More
Common Than Expected

Childhood blindness in Britain is more common than previously thought and youngsters from ethnic minorities and lower economic groups and premature babies are vulnerable.

In a study that gives a snapshot of childhood blindness in Britain, scientists identified 439 newly diagnosed blind children throughout Britain in 2,000, compared to an expected 350 new cases.

"It showed two very important things. Childhood blindness is really more common than we had assumed before and certain groups are particularly at risk," Dr. Jugnoo Rahi, of the Institute of Child Health, said in an interview Friday.

Many of the blind children have multiple impairments resulting from genetic diseases.

"That is the pattern we are seeing in the UK and it is bound to be the pattern in other industrial countries because it is all about socio-economic transition, healthcare change and how it impacts on diseases in the population," Rahi, who reported the findings in the Lancet medical journal, said.

Premature babies are prone to specific eye conditions because of a complicated birth or lack of oxygen and are less able to fight infections and illnesses that afflict all children.

Rahi said the main ethnic minority groups in Britain are from south Asia, where it is more common to have marriages within the family, to cousins for example, which could predispose them to hereditary diseases.

"Those groups are particularly at increased risk and we think that means there will continue to be a rise in blindness," she added.

Rahi and her colleagues called for more research, new interventions and funding for support services and treatment.

Reference Source 89

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