Changing pattern of childhood blindness in eight North-Eastern states and review of the epidemiological data of childhood blindness of India

PURPOSE: To assess the causes of visual impairment and blindness in children in all the schools for the blind in eight northeastern states and to determine its temporal trend, and to analyze the result with reference to various regional epidemiological data on childhood blindness in India. METHODS: Children aged ≤16 years, with a visual acuity of ≤6/18 in the better eye, attending 17 schools for the blind were examined between November 2018 and March 2020. WHO protocol and reporting format was used for the evaluation, diagnosis, and classification of the causes. RESULTS: Out of 465 eligible study participants, 93.76% were blind and only 12.26% of causes were avoidable. Anatomical causes of childhood blindness were whole globe (43.2%), cornea (17.20%), optic nerve (12.04%), retina (9.68%), and lens (9.46%). Etiological causes were unknown (52.69%), hereditary (26.02%), intrauterine (15.05%), and 26.08% had blinding congenital ocular abnormality (s). Regional temporal trend revealed a decrease in corneal and childhood causes and an increase in retina, optic nerve, hereditary, and intrauterine causes. CONCLUSION: A constellation of causes were differentiable but matched with the overall emerging trend of childhood blindness in India. Higher corneal, unavoidable, and unknown causes suggest a region-specific action plan for controlling childhood blindness as well as rehabilitation.