Kemmanu Vasudha, Giliyar Subramanya K, Shetty Bhujanga K, Singh Arvind Kumar, Kumaramanickavel Govindasamy, McCarty Catherine A
Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore, India.
Dr RML Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Eye (Lond). 2018 Oct;32(10):1590-1598. doi: 10.1038/s41433-018-0142-z. Epub 2018 Jun 11.
To discuss the aims, methods, and results of a population-based cross-sectional prevalence survey of children ≤15 years, in South India and compare it with a study conducted earlier, in the same area. We also discuss the changing trends in the domain of childhood blindness in India.
A population-based cross-sectional prevalence survey of children ≤15 years, in Pavagada and Madhugiri taluks of Tumkur district in Karnataka state in south India, was conducted in 2 phases. One trained medical-social-worker and one field-investigator identified eligible children and brought them to a makeshift clinic in the village school, where they were examined by an ophthalmologist. Children with minor problems were treated on the field and those with major conditions were referred to the pediatric ophthalmologist in the tertiary hospital. The prevalence of specific diseases were calculated in percentages.
The prevalence of childhood ocular morbidity (COM) was 6.54%. Refractive errors (2.77%) constituted the major cause of COM. The prevalence of blindness (best corrected visual acuity of <3/60 in the better eye) was 0.09%. Whole-globe anomalies (25%) and uveal coloboma (25%) constituted the main cause of blindness.
A major proportion of the blindness was due to unavoidable causes. Unlike several earlier studies, corneal blindness is no longer the main cause of blindness. This shows that there is a changing trend in the pattern of childhood blindness in India. The current data demonstrate the need for low vision rehabilitative services and a review of public health strategy in India.
探讨在印度南部开展的一项针对15岁及以下儿童的基于人群的横断面患病率调查的目的、方法和结果，并将其与该地区早期进行的一项研究进行比较。我们还将讨论印度儿童失明领域的变化趋势。
在印度南部卡纳塔克邦图姆库尔区的帕瓦加达和马杜吉里乡对15岁及以下儿童进行了一项基于人群的横断面患病率调查，分两个阶段进行。一名经过培训的医学社会工作者和一名现场调查员确定符合条件的儿童，并将他们带到村校的临时诊所，由一名眼科医生对他们进行检查。有小问题的儿童在现场接受治疗，有严重病症的儿童则被转诊至三级医院的小儿眼科医生处。以百分比计算特定疾病的患病率。
儿童眼部疾病（COM）的患病率为6.54%。屈光不正（2.77%）是COM的主要原因。失明（较好眼最佳矫正视力<3/60）的患病率为0.09%。全眼球异常（25%）和脉络膜缺损（25%）是失明的主要原因。
大部分失明是由不可避免的原因导致的。与早期的几项研究不同，角膜盲不再是失明的主要原因。这表明印度儿童失明模式存在变化趋势。目前的数据表明印度需要低视力康复服务并对公共卫生策略进行审查。
