Blindness and vision problems in children

There are different causes of blindness in children. Retinopathy of prematurity – or ROP – is a major cause of vision loss and blindness in young children. Babies who are born very prematurely, whose birth weight is very low, are most at risk.

Children born with a rare illness called brittle cornea syndrome have fragile eyes which puts them at risk of severe vision problems and even blindness.

Some children have eyesight problems called visual field defects, which restrict their field of view. Children who have had a stroke, a head injury or meningitis are at risk of suffering visual field defects, as are children with cerebral palsy who were born prematurely, children with the eye disease glaucoma and children who are taking certain medications, including a treatment for epilepsy. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to diagnose visual field defects in children.