User:Shannonchan futurepharmd/sandbox

pubmed "Blindness/congenital"[Mesh] OR "congenital blindness"

Of all the children in the world, about 19 million of them are estimated to be visually impaired or blind. Many of the cases occurring in low-income countries in the previous two decades were a result of low socioeconomic status and its association with disease and nutritional deficiencies. However, recent studies have shown that most cases of visually impaired children are a result of causes such as cerebral visual impairment and optic nerve anomalies. This is due to a decrease in preventable or avoidable causes of blindness with the overall improvement and focus on maternal and neonatal healthcare worldwide.

There is limited knowledge on how childhood blindness affects long-term quality of life as there have not been many studies done to assess overall outcomes. However, there is data that supports the functional burden of blindness for both individuals that later affect society, such as education and employment. Some potential questionnaires for gathering and assessing quality of life have been tested but not developed nor fully implemented in the healthcare system. Treatments currently available for those who are diagnosed are not readily accessible in developing countries due to financial and institutional limitations.