Causes of blindness in children. 1046 cases registered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind 1970-1973

Abstract

During the period 1970-73, 1,046 children under 20 years of age were registered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The three most common registration diagnoses were Cataract (13%), Optic Atrophy (12%) and Nystagmus (10%); Retrolental Fibroplasia was responsible for a smaller proportion (6%). Twenty per cent of the registration diagnoses were non-specific and included "Nystagmus", "Site or Type not Established", "Affection of Visual Centre" and "Amblyopia". Without a specific diagnosis one could not decide whether the blindness was due to genetic or environmental causes. It is recommended that the C.N.I.B. establish a procedure by which children with a non-specific registration diagnosis can be referred for further investigation.