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Prevalence and causes of ocular disorders and visual impairment among preterm children in Ethiopia
Sadik Taju Sherief1,2, Lulu M Muhe3, Amha Mekasha3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia goge4000@yahoo.com.
Insights
Ocular disorders and visual impairment are common in preterm children in Ethiopia. Early detection through screening protocols is crucial for preventing childhood vision loss.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for childhood visual impairment.
- Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates require specialized eye care.
- Ethiopia faces challenges in addressing childhood visual disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and causes of ocular disorders and visual impairment in preterm children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- To identify risk factors associated with visual impairment in this population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective screening survey was conducted at a pediatric eye clinic.
- Data collected included demographic, neonatal, and ocular health information.
- Statistical analyses (Odds Ratio, univariate) identified predictors of ocular diseases and visual impairment.
Main Results:
- 222 preterm children were studied, with a mean gestational age of 34.11 weeks.
- Ocular disorders were prevalent, with refractive errors (51.8%), strabismus (11.3%), and retinopathy of prematurity (7.2%) being most common.
- Visual impairment affected one-fourth of children, with amblyopia (40.1%) being a major concern, often caused by uncorrected refractive errors, strabismus, and ROP.
Conclusions:
- Visual impairment and amblyopia are significant issues among preterm children in Ethiopia.
- Developing targeted screening protocols for preterm infants is essential for early detection and prevention.
- Interventions are needed to reduce the burden of childhood visual impairment in the region.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, causes of ocular disorders and visual impairment among preterm children previously admitted to neonatal intensive care units in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods And Analysis:
A prospective screening survey was conducted from February to June 2019 at the paediatric eye clinic of Menelik II Hospital. Children who were preterm at birth and who attended the eye clinic were included in the study. Data on demographic and neonatal characteristics, neonatal and maternal comorbidities and ocular disorders were collected. OR and univariate analysis were used to identify predictors of ocular diseases and visual impairment.
Results:
There were 222 children included in the study with a mean age at presentation of 2.62 years (range 2.08-6.38 years), mean gestational age 34.11 weeks (range 30-36) weeks and mean birth weight 1941.72 g (range 953-3500 g). Nearly two-thirds had ocular disorders with refractive error (51.8%), strabismus (11.3%) and a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (7.2%) being more common. One-fourth of the children had visual impairment, and the prevalence of amblyopia was 40.1%. Uncorrected refractive errors, strabismus and ROP were causes for visual impairment.
Conclusion:
Visual impairment and amblyopia are common in Ethiopia. There is a need to develop a screening protocol for ocular disorders for preterm children to enhance early detection and prevention of childhood visual impairment.
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