Table 4.
Avoidable causes of SVI/BL in 65 children with SVI/BL attending the school for the blind and derived from the SEC
| Causes | N | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Avoidable | 26 | 40.0 |
| Preventable | 5 | 7.7 |
| Corneal scar from VAD | 2 | 3.1 |
| Congenital rubella | 1 | 1.5 |
| Trauma | 1 | 1.5 |
| Harmful traditional practices | 1 | 1.5 |
| Treatable | 21 | 32.3 |
| Cataract | 10 | 15.4 |
| ROP | 8 | 12.3 |
| Glaucoma/buphthalmos | 3 | 4.6 |
| Unavoidable | 39 | 60.0 |
BL, blindness; ROP, retinopathy of prematurity; SEC, Suriname Eye Centre; SVI, severe visual impairment; VAD, vitamin A deficiency.