Conference Vision 99, 12-16 July 1999, New York

Improvement of neonatal intensive care allows infants born with sever brain damages to survive.. Brain damage can induce motor impairments in the form of cerebral palsy, and visual impairment, both of which can cause problems in overall development.
The Early Intervention Program serves babies 0-3 with various degrees of visual impairments.
All the children undergo ophthalmological, neurological and orthopedic examination. Their functioning is evaluated by low vision therapist and physical therapist.
Most children referred to our Center were born prematurely and have a history of perinatal hypoxia and hypoxic/ischaemic encephalopathy, cerebral hemorrhage, hydrocephalus or cerebral infection. Therefore they have various cognitive, visual and motor problems. Ophthalmological and neurological findings indicate co-existing partial optic nerve atrophy and lesions of the posterior visual pathways which are diagnosed during ophtalmoscopy and on CT or MRI (more seldom) scans. They have cerebral palsy most often in the form of spastic tetraplegia, diplegia and hemiplegia. Horizontal nystagmus, strabismus, motility defects, hyperopia combined with astigmatism are the most common findings.

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