Neonatal Visual Impairment: Etiologies, Screening, and Management

Severe visual impairment in the newborn period can be attributed to prenatal and perinatal etiologies. Prenatal causes include various congenital anomalies such as anophthalmos or microphthalmos, congenital cataracts, congenital glaucoma, retinal dystrophies, and retinoblastoma. Acquired perinatal causes include ophthalmia neonatorum, cerebral visual impairment related to neurologic insult, and retinopathy of prematurity. Severe visual impairment can negatively affect a child's growth, development, social skills, and educational abilities, but prompt recognition and treatment of visual deficits can minimize long-term complications. In this review, we describe the approach to screening for visual impairment in the newborn and review treatment modalities and long-term sequelae of the most common causes of neonatal visual impairment.