Childhood blindness in Iceland. A study of legally blind and partially seeing children in Iceland 1978.

In 1978, a study was made of legally blind (corrected visual acuity 6/60 or less) and partially seeing (CVA 6/18 to 6/60) children under 15 years of age in Iceland. A total of 43 children were found, of whom 23 were legally blind and 20 partially seeing. The prevalence rates, expressed as the number per 100,000, children of similar age, 36.4 for legal blindness and 31.6 for partial sight. In all 43 children, the visual loss was attributable to heritable, congenital, or developmental defects. The most common causes of visual loss were optic nerve atrophy and cataracts. Other causes are listed and discussed. No cases of acquired visual loss were found. In addition to visual loss, other congenital birth defects were found in 24 of the children. CNS affection was found in 20 of the children, and of these, 15 were mentally retarded.