244 chapter 30
Blindness with other disabilities
Some children with cerebral palsy or other disabilities are also partly or completely
blind. Parents may not realize this and think that the child’s slow development or lack
of interest in things is because he is mentally and physically handicapped. In fact,
blindness may be a large part of the cause.
Even if a child has no other disability, blindness can make development of early skills
slower and more difficult. If the child does not look at, reach for, or take interest in
things around him, check if he can see (and hear).
Note: Some children with very severe brain damage or mental slowness may seem blind. They may
look at things without really seeing them, because their brains are at the developmental level of a
newborn baby. With lots of stimulation, little by little some of these children begin to become more
aware of things, to follow them with their eyes, and finally to reach for them.
Causes of blindness
Different people have different beliefs about what causes blindness. In some parts
of the world, people think a child is born blind as punishment for something the parents
have done. In parts of Latin America, villagers believe that a bat’s urine fell in the baby’s
eyes, or that a ‘black witch moth’ flew by the baby’s face. These things do not really
cause blindness, and as people get new information, many are leaving these older
beliefs behind.
We now know that child blindness is usually caused by poor nutrition or infection,
and that most blindness in children can be prevented.
COMMON CAUSES OF BLINDNESS IN
CHILDREN ARE:
1. ‘Dry eyes’ (xerophthalmia, or nutritional
blindness) is the most common cause of child
blindness. It is especially common in parts of Africa
and Asia. It results when a child does not get enough
vitamin A, which occurs naturally in many fruits and
vegetables (and also in milk, meats, and eggs). ‘Dry
eyes’ develops in children who are not regularly fed
any of these foods. It often appears or quickly
gets worse when these children get diarrhea or
have measles, whooping cough, or tuberculosis.
It is much more common in children who are not
breast-fed.
Dry eyes can be prevented by feeding children
foods with vitamin A. Encourage families to grow and eat
things like papaya, squash, carrots, and leafy green
vegetables in a family garden. Be sure the child eats
these foods regularly, beginning at 6 months old.
Vitamin A capsules or liquid can also prevent dry
eyes, but should not take the place of a well-balanced
diet. Give 200,000 units (60 mg. retinol) once every
4 to 6 months (or 100,000 units to babies less than
1 year old). Do not give this large dose more often
than 4 to 6 months, because too much vitamin A can
poison the child. For treatment, give 200,000 units
(I.U.) of vitamin A at once, 200,000 I.U. the next day,
and 200,000 I.U. 2 weeks later. Give half the dose to
children under age 1. See a health worker.
SIGNS OF XEROPHTHALMIA
First sign may be
night blindness.
Child sees worse
than others in the
dark.
Next the eyes look
‘dry’. The white part
loses its shine, begins
to wrinkle, and forms
patches of little gray
bubbles (Bitot’s spots).
Later, the dark part
(cornea) also gets
dry and dull, with
little pits.
Finally, the cornea
may get soft, bulge,
or burst, causing
blindness.
FOODS THAT HELP PREVENT IT
• breast milk
• dark green, leafy
vegetables
• yellow, red, or
orange vegetables
• whole milk
• egg yolks
• liver and kidneys
• fish
Disabled village Children