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Submitted: 2022-03-27
DOI: 10.35119/myjo.v4i3.279
Original Articles
Published: 2022-10-12

Prevalence and causes of visual impairment in children aged seven years and below in a tertiary eye care centre in Malaysia

Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysian Optical Council, Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysia paediatric visual impairment prevalence

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment among children aged 7 years and below in a tertiary eye care centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Study design: Cross-sectional retrospective study.

Methods: Medical records of all children aged 7 years and below who attended the paediatric ophthalmology clinic in a tertiary eye care centre in 2020 were reviewed.

Results: In 2020, 2,460 children were seen in the clinic, of whom 549 (22.3%) presented with visual impairment. At the time of presentation, 73.2% of the visually impaired children were diagnosed with blindness; of these children, 62.8% were under 1 year old. The percentage of treatable causes of visual impairment was 38.4%, while 31.1% of them were preventable. The most common causes of visual impairment were cerebral visual impairment (24.2%), congenital cataract (16.6%), and retinoblastoma (6.2%).

Conclusion: More than half of the causes of childhood visual impairment were preventable or treatable. The majority of children were under 1 year old. Cerebral visual impairment was the main cause of visual impairment. This study highlights the importance of early screening and intervention programs to prevent childhood visual impairment.