Childhood blindness: a UK epidemiological perspective.

The purposes of this short paper are to introduce the reader to the aims of ophthalmic epidemiology and its relevance to clinical practice in ophthalmology and to vision science research. Summarise what is known currently about the epidemiology of severe visual impairment and blindness in childhood in the UK. Highlight the key gaps in our knowledge in this area and identify some of the most pressing challenges in terms of research.