Rise in Cases of Childhood Blindness Linked to Preterm Births: Study

Increased survival of premature babies has led to a rise in cases of childhood blindness, according to study.

It is known that early births up risk of vision impairment in preterm babies and one-in-20 preemies are born blind. Experts from the U.K's charity organization Blind Children found a 22 percent increase in vision impairment with an upshot in premature births in the last decade, reports the Telegraph.

Since 2006, the agency noted 12 percent rise in the number of diagnosis for partial or complete blindness in toddlers aged below five. Almost one-in-four parents and care givers said they came to know about the children's poor vision more than a year after their birth.

Over 80 percent of children reported missing their schools because of severe vision difficulties. The agency officials warn people to watch out symptoms for symptoms like eye redness, irritation, inflammation and swelling in babies' eyes. Furthermore, they urge parents to seek immediate medical care and consultation if babies' eyes center appears white in photographs or trembles continuously and show extreme sensitivity to light.

"Every day four children in the UK are registered blind or partially sighted. Sight loss can leave children feeling isolated and afraid - I know this from personal experience," said Lord Chris Holmes, a paralympian and the charity's ambassador, reports the Daily Mail.

"Blind Children UK helps gives children the skills, confidence and support to enable them to enjoy their childhood and reach their potential as adults."

Majority of the children suffering from vision impairment do not receive necessary treatment due to financial restraints of the families. The experts recommend parents to take their children for regular eye check-ups and disclose all information pertaining to vision difficulties to avoid complications in the future.

The charity organization's new awareness campaign will be launched by the BAFTA winning series-'Gavin and Stacy' actor, Joanna Page.

"As a new mother, I have great empathy for parents of children with sight loss. The charity is trying to raise awareness of the problem and ensure that children who do have vision impairment are diagnosed as early as possible so they can receive the support they need," said Page,  reports Wales Online.

According to the data by the U.S. National Federation of the Blind, more than 656,000 American children aged between four and 18 have visual disability.