Childhood blindness in Iraq

ABSTRACT

One hundred and fifty students, blind before the age of 12 years, attending a special educational institution were studied. All students underwent a complete ophthalmological evaluation. Prior to 1970, acquired diseases as chronic bacterial and viral keratities led to blindness in 70% of students, while from 1970 on wards genetically determined diseases, particularly Congenital Cataract, counted for 81% of childhood blindness, 50% of them came from consanguineous marriages. The visual acuity in 32% was no light perception, in 60% varying from light perception to counting fingers at one mater and the rest had a vision varying between counting fingers at one mater and 6/60