VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN SWEDISH CHILDREN .2. ETIOLOGIC FACTORS

The analysis of etiological factors in a group of visually impaired ch ildren is of considerable importance when trying to find guidelines fo r possible preventive work, In this study me present etiological data on 2373 Swedish children, Data have been obtained by reviewing medical records on all known children with visual impairment throughout the c ountry, In accordance with similar studies from industrialised countri es, the group with prenatal etiology was the predominant, comprising 6 4% of the material, Within this group, half the patients had a disease of genetic origin, A total of 50% of all patients with prenatal etiol ogy had an additional impairment, but in the group with diseases of ge netic origin this proportion was smaller, only 40%, On the other hand, many children with additional impairments were found among those with an unspecified prenatal influence, Peri-/neonatal etiologies were fou nd in 20% of the patients, In this group as many as 83% had additional impairments, This was even more pronounced among children delivered a t term, The group with infantile/juvenile etiologies was small, 7%, wi th additional impairments in 66%, In 9% of all patients the etiology w as classified as unknown, Among these, 80% had additional impairments, The visual impairment tended to be more pronounced, the later the dis ease was acquired, A male preponderance was seen in most etiological s ubgroups and in the material as a whole.