Related Experiment Videos
[Detection of pediatric visual defect]
1Universitäts-Augenklinik, Basel.
Insights
Evaluating blindness in infants is crucial. Acquired causes are decreasing, but combined visual and developmental handicaps, particularly from cerebral palsy, are rising.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neurology
Context:
- Clinical evaluation of infants under one year with suspected blindness or severe visual impairment.
- Shifting trends in childhood blindness etiology, with decreasing acquired causes.
- Increasing prevalence of combined visual and general handicaps in children.
Purpose:
- To discuss the clinical evaluation of visually impaired infants.
- To highlight the rise in cerebral visual disturbances linked to cerebral palsy.
- To address the diagnostic challenge in differentiating visual from psychomotor handicaps.
Summary:
- Childhood blindness etiology shows a decrease in acquired causes and an increase in combined visual and general handicaps.
- Cerebral visual disturbances in cerebral palsy are a primary driver of this increase.
- Distinguishing visual from psychomotor handicap requires careful observation of non-visual stimulation and developmental progress.
Impact:
- Informs clinical practice for diagnosing visual impairments in infants.
- Highlights the need for integrated approaches to managing children with complex disabilities.
- Emphasizes assessing visual capacity's role in psychomotor development stimulation.
Abstract:
The clinical evaluation of children under one year of age suspected of blindness or severe visual impairment is discussed. Etiology of childhood blindness has shown a marked decrease of acquired causes. A marked increase occurs of the group of combined visually and generally handicapped children. This is due mainly to the increase in cerebral visual disturbances in cerebral palsies. Differentiation between visual handicap on one side and psychomotor handicap on the other side is difficult. Non visual stimulation of motor activities and observation of the level of development may be helpful. The important question to be answered is whether the actual visual capacity is sufficient for the stimulation of the development of the psychomotor potential.