Pattern of childhood visual impairment and blindness among students in schools for the visually impaired in Lagos State: An update.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of childhood visual impairment and blindness (VI and BL) among students attending schools for the visually impaired in Lagos State, with a view to providing information on avoidable causes as well as emerging trends that would be useful to policy-makers for the planning and implementation of strategies for the control of avoidable childhood BL in Lagos State.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

The study was conducted among students enrolled in two schools for the visually impaired in Lagos State who developed VI/BL before the age of 16 years. Participants and their parents/guardians were interviewed to obtain medical history. Ocular and systemic examinations were also performed. Information was recorded using a modified World Health Organization/Prevention of BL Eye Examination Record for Children with BL and Low Vision and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.0. Z-test determined differences in the proportions of the causes of VI/BL between this study and an earlier study.

RESULTS

A total of 116 students were enrolled in this study of which 65 (56.0%) were males. Avoidable causes accounted for 58.5% of VI/BL. Preventable causes predominated with measles (15; 12.9%) accounting for the largest proportion. Surgical complications (16; 13.8%) were the largest cause of VI/BL. A statistically significant decrease (P = 0.004; 95% confidence interval = 0.09-0.50) in the proportion of avoidable BL between a previous study carried out in Lagos State and this study was found. Hereditary cataract and cortical VI were the findings of this study not recorded in the previous study.

CONCLUSION

Avoidable causes of childhood VI/BL still predominate among students in the schools for the visually impaired in Lagos State; however, there is a statistically significant decrease.