Early Childhood Blindness – Etiologies and Comorbidity

PurposeTo identify etiologies and developmental comorbidity in children with congenital or very early blindness.MethodsChildren with congenital or early blindness in Sweden during a 20 year period were identified through registers. Major causes for the blindness and developmental disturbance were collected from patient records.ResultsFour causes of blindness amounted to 65% of all etiologies: retinopathy of prematurity, optic nerve hypoplasia, Leber congenital amaurosis, and optic nerve atrophy, in falling order of frequency. Nearly three out of four children had at least one additional impairment besides blindness; the most common being intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. More than half of the population had more than one additional impairment.ConclusionsBlindness in itself entails considerable implications for a child's development and learning. When blindness is combined with other developmental disorders, there is a significant need for support and adaptation. It is important to understand the developmental effects of both the blindness and other coexisting disabilities in order to correctly interpret the behavior and needs of the children.