Causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children attending schools for the visually handicapped in the Czech Republic.

Aims: To describe the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in schools for the visually handicapped in the Czech Republic in 1998.

Methods: Pupils attending all 10 primary schools for the visually handicapped were examined. A modified WHO/PBL eye examination record for children with blindness and low vision was used.

[Prescription of special optical aids for visual defects. II].

In 1993-1995 the authors prescribed in the Institute for the Treatment of Ophthalmological Defects and the Second Ophthalmological Clinic optic aids for 795 patients with impaired eyesight and evaluated their functional effectiveness. Optic aids for far distance were prescribed to 325 patients. Their mean natural vision (or with common correction) was 4.

[Prescription of special optical aids for visual defects. I].

In 1993-1995 the authors prescribed in the Institute for the Treatment of Ophthalmological Defects and at the Second Ophthalmological Clinic in Prague special optic aids for 795 patients. The patients were divided by age into three groups. In the group under 18 years the main cause of the defect was atrophy of optic nerve, in the group between 18 and 60 years tapetoretinal degeneration and in the group over 60 year senile macular degeneration.

[Retinopathy of prematurity over 3 decades].

The authors give an account of 190 premature infants they treated in 1956-1988, suffering from retinopathy of prematurity--ROP, and for prolonged subsequent periods. As the head of the team followed up all the children, there is an integrated view of the problem. The birth weight of the infants was 640 g--1,900 g.