Epidemiological Survey of Paediatric Ocular Morbidity in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

This study was aimed at determining the spectrum of childhood ocular problems presenting to the Eye Unit of Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, Benue State over a 6-year period. This data is highly needed for effective planning of pediatric eye care services for the prevention of childhood blindness. The study was a retrospective study in which the case notes of all consecutive patients that were 16 years old and below were reviewed. Demographic data, clinical diagnosis, visual acuity where feasible and modality of treatment received were retrieved and analyzed using SPSS version 15. Eight hundred and sixty-five (865) cases constituting 22.4% of the total number 3862 of both adults and children that attended the Hospital in the study period were obtained. Age ranged from five days to 15 years eight months. Mean age 8.6 ± 1.6 years. A total of 519 (60.0%) were males and 346 (40.0%) females. Vernal disease was the commonest ocular morbidity seen constituting 349 cases (40.3%), ocular trauma 152 (17.6%), infective conjunctivitis 106 (12.3%) and refractive errors 89 (10.2%). The location of industries (rice mills, sawmills, cement factory) away from residential areas, availability of antiallergic drugs must be ensured; strategy to prevent ocular trauma must be put in place. Health education to discourage usage of traditional eye medication in trivial ocular trauma and mild infection must be discouraged and school screening for early detection / correction of refractive errors should be embarked on.

Key words: pediatric, vernal disease, ocular trauma, conjunctivitis