{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:28:58Z","timestamp":1786649338085,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"6","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This was a population-based study to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in children less than 16 years in Urban North India.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This cross-sectional study was conducted in 40 clusters of urban Delhi. 20,955 children aged less than 16 years underwent visual acuity screening using age-appropriate visual acuity charts. Unaided visual acuity of enumerated children aged over 2 years was assessed by using Lea symbols chart in 3-5 years age group and logMAR tumbling E charts for the 6-15 years age group. For children aged 0-2 years, fixation and following to torch light was assessed. All the children with unaided visual acuity of &lt;6\/12 in any eye in age group 3\u201315 years and inability to follow the light in age &lt;3 years were referred for detailed ophthalmic examination.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Amongst 20,955 children examined for visual acuity a total of 789 children were referred to the central clinic for detailed ophthalmic examination. Of these referred children, a total of 124 had presenting visual acuity &lt;6\/18 in the better eye. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI) was 5.92 per thousand (95% CI: 4.96-7.05). The prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment was maximum in the age group of 11 to 15 years. The main cause of avoidable VI in these children was a refractive error (75.7%). The prevalence of blindness was 0.42 per thousand.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Optic nerve abnormalities were the most important cause of blindness in children. Refractive error is the most important cause of visual impairment amongst children and needs to be addressed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/ijo.ijo_2408_20","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,2]],"date-time":"2021-06-02T10:42:08Z","timestamp":1622630528000},"page":"1381-1387","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["A population-based study on the prevalence and causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment in North India"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"69","author":[{"given":"Meenakshi","family":"Wadhwani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya, Geeta Colony, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Praveen","family":"Vashist","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Community Ophthalmology, RP Center AIIMS, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suraj Singh","family":"Senjam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Squint and Neuro Ophthalmology Unit, RP Center, AIIMS, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vivek","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Community Ophthalmology, RP Center AIIMS, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rohit","family":"Saxena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Squint and Neuro Ophthalmology Unit, RP Center, AIIMS, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Radhika","family":"Tandon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Head, Cornea Services, RP Center, AIIMS, New Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20251004","first-page":"74","article-title":"The epidemiology of blindness in children: Changing priorities","volume":"30","author":"Gilbert","year":"2017","journal-title":"Community Eye Health"},{"key":"R2-20251004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1129","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2011-300093","article-title":"Visual impairment in children in middle and low income countries","volume":"96","author":"Courtright","year":"2011","journal-title":"Arch Dis Child"},{"key":"R3-20251004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1080\/09286580801977668","article-title":"Childhood blindness in a rural population of Southern India: Prevalence and etiology","volume":"15","author":"Dorairaj","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ophthalmic Epidemiol"},{"key":"R4-20251004","first-page":"623","article-title":"Refractive error in children in an urban population in New Delhi","volume":"43","author":"Murthy","year":"2002","journal-title":"Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci"},{"key":"R5-20251004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9394(03)00421-5","article-title":"The Kariapatti Pediatric Eye Evaluation Project: Baseline ophthalmic data of children aged 15 years or younger in southern India","volume":"136","author":"Nirmalan","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"R6-20251004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.3109\/09286586.2015.1090003","article-title":"Prevalence of childhood blindness and ocular morbidity in a rural pediatric population in Southern India. 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