To assess the need for eye care in children and adolescents with severe mental deficiency, a cross‐sectional study of the prevalence and causes of ocular defects amongst these individuals was conducted. Two hundred and sixty residents in a mental handicap unit were examined from January 1992 to June 1993. It was found that there was an unusually high prevalence of severe visual impairment (25%), refractive errors (24%), squint (8%) and a number of organic ocular diseases (8%). All the patients studied were non‐verbal and 18% of them were deaf. Only 23 patients could walk. The results emphasize the need for establishing an efficient system to provide regular ophthalmic care for children with severe mental deficiency.
LA - SN - 0964-2633 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.1996.tb00638.x ID - ref1 ER -