Prevalence of Childhood Blindness and Ocular Morbidity in a Rural Pediatric Population in Southern India: The Pavagada Pediatric Eye Disease Study-1

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of childhood blindness and ocular morbidity in a rural pediatric population in South India.

Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional survey of children was conducted in three phases in Pavagada and Madhugiri taluks (subdivisions) of Tumkur district in the state of Karnataka, India. In the first phase, trained fieldworkers screened 23,100 children. In the second phase, children with eye diseases were referred to the peripheral hospital to be examined by a general ophthalmologist. In the third phase, children with major eye diseases were examined by a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Results: The prevalence of ocular morbidity was 2.66% (95% confidence interval, CI, 2.46–2.87%). The most commonly observed ocular morbidity was Bitot spots (1%) followed by refractive error (0.6%). In total, 18 children were blind and the prevalence of childhood blindness (best-corrected visual acuity <3/60) was 0.08% (95% CI 0.04–0.11%); 8 (44.44%) had retinal blindness, 5 (27.76%) had lens-related blindness, 2 (11.11%) had bilateral microphthalmos, 1 (5.56%) was blind due to anterior staphyloma in the right eye and anophthalmos in the left eye, 1 (5.56%) had bilateral uveal coloboma and 1 (5.56%) had cortical visual impairment.

Conclusions: Nearly half of the blindness in the population was due to unavoidable causes (retinal). In addition to providing eye care services, an appropriate service delivery model would include the provision of rehabilitative and low vision services and implementation of genetic studies to understand the causes and increase awareness of inherited eye diseases.

KEYWORDS:

• Blindness
• childhood blindness
• children
• epidemiology
• India
• ocular morbidity
• prevalence
• visual impairment

Acknowledgments

We would like to sincerely thank the following people: Swami Japanandaji, Chairman, and all the staff of Shree Sharada Devi Eye Hospital and Research Centre, Pavagada, Karnataka, India; and Dr. P. Hanumantharayappa (retired), RCH Project, Population Research Centre, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Nagarabhavi Post, Bangalore – 560072, India.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. Financial support was received from the Medical Education & Research Trust, Karnataka and the JRD Tata & Thelma J Tata Trust, Mumbai.