Causes of visual impairment and blindness in children Attending jimma university medical center, department of Ophthalmology, southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Visual impairment and blindness in childhood represents significant public health challenges.Prevalence and causes of childhood blindness vary between countries and over time, and influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors and the availability of primary health care and eye care services. However there is limited evidence on the magnitude and causes of visual impairment and blindness in our setup. Objectives: To assess the causes of visual impairment and blindness in children visiting Jimma University Medical Center, Ophthalmology Department, Southwest of Ethiopia. Method: Hospital based retrospective study was conducted. A 3 years’ retrospective chart review was done for the visits from September 1st 2021 to August 31st 2024.All children who visited during the specified study period were included. A pretested, structured questionnaire was utilized for data collection. The data were coded and entered into Epidata 3.1, and subsequently exported to SPSS version 27 for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis was performed, with results presented in tables and graphs. Result: A total of 2,129 children visited the JUMC, Department of Ophthalmology, POSC over three years .Of these, 254 children (11.9%) presented with a visual acuity of less than 6/12 in one or both eyes. Out of the total 2,129 children, 143 (6.7%) and 60 (2.8%) had VI and blindness respectively. Most children had onset of the vision loss between 1 to 15 years (76.9%).The most common anatomical sites associated with vision impairment and blindness were the normal globe (n=60, 41.9%) and the lens (n=46, 32.2%). Regarding specific conditions, refractive error (37.7%) and cataract (31.5%) were the most common. The major etiologies were predominantly linked to childhood factors (53.1%).The majority of the cases (86.7%) were considered to be potentially avoidable. Trauma (46.9%) was identified as the most common cause of uniocular vision loss in children less than 16 years of age. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of childhood visual impairment and blindness .The most common anatomic site was normal globe and the lens. Refractive errors and cataracts were the most common causes. Majority of the cases had potentially avoidable causes. Trauma was the most common cause of unilateral vision loss.