Skip to main content
Log in

Causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia: results from a national study of blind school students

  • Published:
International Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A national study was conducted in children attending six schools for the blind in Malaysia to identify the anatomical site and underlying causes of blindness (BL) and severe visual impairment (SVI), with a view to determine the potentially preventable and treatable causes so that appropriate control measures can be implemented in the future. The standardized clinical examination of eyes was performed and the findings were recorded on the WHO Prevention of Blindness Programme eye examination record form for children with blindness and low vision.A total of 358 children aged between 7 and 17 years were examined, of whom 332 (92.7%) were blind or severely visually impaired. The results relate to these 332 children. Lens was the major anatomical site (22.3%) of visual loss followed by retina (20.8%), whole globe (17.2%), cornea (15.1%), optic nerve (8.7%) and uvea (5.1%). Glaucoma was responsible for BL/SVI in 7.2% and others in 3.6% of cases. Hereditary diseases were responsible for visual loss in 29.5%, intrauterine factors in 4.5%, perinatal factors in 9% and childhood factors in 7.8% of cases. However, the aetiology was unknown in 49.1% of cases which included congenital anomalies of the globe.Childhood cataract and corneal scarring are major treatable causes of BL/SVIthat can benefit from future intervention strategies. Perinatal screening forintrauterine factors and hereditary eye diseases, and appropriate interventionaltherapy will help in reducing the prevalence of childhood blindness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organisation. International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems. Tenth revision, Geneva, WHO. 1992; 456-7.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rogers NK, Gilbert CE, Foster A, Zakhidiv BO, Mc Collium CJ. Childhood blindness in Uzbekistan. Eye 1999; 13: 65-70.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hornby SJ, Xiao Y, Gilbert CE, Foster A, Wang X, Liang X, et al. Causes of childhood blindness in the People's Republic of China: results from 1131 blind school students in 18 provinces. Br J Ophthalmol 1999; 83: 929-32.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Waddel KM. Childhood blindness and low vision in Uganda. Eye 1998; 12: 184-92.

    Google Scholar 

  5. O'Sullivan J, Gilbert C, Foster A. The causes of childhood blindness in south Africa. S Afr Med J 1997; 87: 1691-5.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Eckstein MB, Foster A, Gilbert CE. Causes of childhood blindness in Sri Lanka: results from children attending six schools for the blind. Br J Ophthalmol 1995; 79: 633-6.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gilbert CE, Wood M, Waddel K, Foster A. Causes of childhood blindness in east Africa: results in 491 pupils attending 17 schools for the blind in Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. Ophthalmol epidemiol 1995; 2: 77-84.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Rahi S, Sripati S, Gilbert CE, Foster A. Childhood blindness in India: causes in 1318 blind school students in nine states. Eye 1995; 9: 945-50.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gilbert CE, Canovas R, Kocksch de Canovas R, Foster A. Causes of blindness and severe visual impairment in children in Chile. Devel Child Neurol 1994; 36: 326-33.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gilber C and Foster A. Causes of blindness in children attending four schools for the blind in Thailand and the Philippines. Int Ophthalmol 1993; 17: 229-34.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Elder MJ, De Cock R. Childhood blindness in West bank and Gaza strip: prevalence, aetiology and hereditory facyors. Eye 1993; 7: 580-3.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Schwab L, Kagame K. Blindness in Africa: Zimbabwe schools for the blind survey. Br J Ophthalmol 1993; 77: 410-2.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gilbert CE, Canvos R, Hagon M, Rao S, Foster A. Causes of childhood blindness: results from west Africa, south India and Chile. Eye 1993: 7: 184-8.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Al-salem M, Rawashdeh N. Pattern of childhood blindness and partial sight among Jordanians in two generations. J Pediatr Ophthalmol & Strabismus 1992; 29: 361-5.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Wolde-Gebriel Z, Gebru H, West CE. Causes of blindness in children in the blind schools of Ethiopia. Trop Geogr Med 1992; 44: 135-1.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rojas JR, Lavado L, Echegaray L. Childhood blindness in Peru. Ann Ophthalmol 1990; 22: 423-5.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Moriarty BJ. Childhood blindness in Jamaica. Br J Ophthalmol 1988; 72: 65-7.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Phillips CI, Levy AM, Newton M, Stokoe NL. Blindness in school children: importance of heredity, congenital cataract, and prematurity. Br J Ophthalmol 1987; 71: 578-84.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Tsukahara S, Sasamoto M, Watanabe I, Phillips CI. Diagnostic survey at Yamanashi school for blind: importance of heredity. Jpn J Ophthalmol 1985; 29: 315-21.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Tabbara KF, Badr IA. Changing pattern of childhood blindness in saudi Arabia. Br J Ophthalmol 1985; 69: 312-5.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Badr IA, Qureshi IH. Causes of blindness in eastern province blind schools. Saudi Med J 1983; 4: 331-8.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Chirambo MC, Ben Ezra D. Causes of blindness among students in blind school institutions in a developing country. Br J Ophthalmol 1976; 60: 665-8.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Baghdassarin SA, Tabbara KF. Childhood blindness in Lebanon. Am J Ophthalmol 1975; 79: 827-30.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Merin S, Lapithis AG, Horovitz D, Michaelson IC. Childhood blindness in Cyprus. Am J Ophthalmol 1972; 74: 538-42.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Olurin O. Etiology of blindness in Nigerian children. Am J Ophthalmol 1970; 70: 533-40.

    Google Scholar 

  26. World Health Organization. Prevention of childhood blindness. WHO, Geneva, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pearce WG. Causes of blindness in 1046 children registered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind 1970-1973. Canadian J Ophthalmol 1975; 10: 469-72.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kahn HA, Moorhead HB. Statistics on Blindness in the Model Reporting Area, 1960-1970, Public Health No. NIH 73-427. Washington DC: US Department of Public Health, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hansen E, Flage T, Rosenberg T, Rudanko S-L, Viggosson G, Riise R. Visual impairment in Nordic children. III Diagnosis. Acta Ophthalmol 1992; 70: 597-604.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Gilbert CE, Foster A, Negrel A, Thylefors B. Childhood blindness: a new form for recording causes of visual loss in children. Bull WHO 1993; 71: 485-9.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Leela G. Pocket guide to Malaysia. Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd., 1991.

  32. Annual Report, Ministry of Health, Malaysia, 1996.

  33. Year book of Statistics, Department of Statistics, Malaysia, 1997.

  34. World Health Organization. Global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, Geneva, WHO, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Gilbert CE, Anderton L, Dandona L, Foster A. Prevalence of visual impairment in children: A review of available data. Ophthalmic Epidemiology 1999; 6: 73-82.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Goggin M, O'Keefe M. Childhood blindness in the Republic of Ireland: a national survey. Br J Ophthalmol 1991; 75: 425-9.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Hegab SM, Amin OM. Defective vision among Kuwaiti students. J Pediatr Ophthalmol & Strabismus 1982; 19: 146-51.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Dandona L, Williams JD, Williams BC, Rao GN. Population-based assessment of childhood blindness in southern India. Arch Ophjthalmol 1998; 116: 545-6.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Hornby SJ, Adolph S, Gothwal UK, Gilbert CE, Dandona L, Foster A. Evaluation of children in six blind schools of Andhra Pradesh. Indian J Ophthalmol 2000; 48: 195-1200.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reddy, S., Tan, B. Causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia: results from a national study of blind school students. Int Ophthalmol 24, 53–59 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014493228691

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014493228691

Navigation