Contribution of ocular examination to the diagnosis of foetal alcohol syndrome in mentally retarded children.

An ophthalmological study was conducted on a series of 28 Swedish children suffering from mild mental retardation without an obvious aetiological diagnosis. The eye examination supported a diagnosis of foetal alcohol syndrome in five out of six suspected cases and revealed two additional not previously suspected (25%). Eye anomalies were observed in 16 patients (57%) with fundus abnormalities (optic nerve hypoplasia, retinal dystrophy) being most frequent, occurring in 11 cases (39%). Four patients had substantially reduced visual acuity in both eyes. Eight children had abnormal features of the face and outer eye region. Ocular motility disturbances (strabismus or nystagmus) were seen in five patients. The ophthalmological study disclosed that at least 10% of this group of children with mild mental retardation suffered from the foetal alcohol syndrome. It is concluded that, in children with mental retardation, an ocular examination is a valuable diagnostic tool for revealing prenatal origin.