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Information Sheets

The links from the topic headings take you to the Blind Babies Fact Sheets. Additional information is available on the Doctors pages on this website.

Cortical Visual Impairment: A temporary or permanent visual impairment caused by the disturbance of the posterior visual pathways and/or the occipital lobes of the brain. The degree of vision impairment can range from severe visual impairment to total blindness. The degree of neurological damage and visual impairment depends upon the time of onset, as well as the location and intensity of the insult. It is a condition that indicates that the visual systems of the brain do not consistently understand or interpret what the eyes see.

• Information from the New Hampshire Blind and Visually Impaired (NHBVI)
  http://www.nhbvi.com/internet/Eye/cvi.html
• Neurological Visual Impairment from California Deaf-Blind Services
  http://www.sfsu.edu/~cadbs/Eng022.html

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP): An eye disorder affecting premature infants. This disorder was called Retrolental Fibroplasia in the past. ROP affects immature blood vessels of the retina. It occurs weeks after birth. Once development of blood vessels is complete, a child is no longer a candidate for this disorder.

• The Association for Retinopathy of Prematurity and Related Diseases (ROPARD) http://www.ropard.org/
• Retinopathy of Prematurity Information Library http://www.growingstrong.org/rop/roplinks.html
• For Parents of Preemies: Retinopathy of Prematurity http://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/ childrenshosp/parents_of_preemies/rop.html

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH): Refers to underdevelopment of the optic nerve during pregnancy.

• Fact Sheet from Blind Babies (dated 1/98) http://www.blindbabies.org/factsheet_onh.htm
• Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: a Guide for Parents http://www.focusfamilies.org/focus/ONHbooklet/ onhbooklet.pdf
• Septo Optic Dysplasia (The Magic Foundation)
  http://www.magicfoundation.org/divisions/pdf/sod.pdf

Albinism: People with albinism have absent or reduced pigment in their eyes, skin or hair. They have inherited genes that do not make the usual amounts of a pigment called melanin which is essential for the full development of the retina. Lack of melanin in development of the retina is the primary cause of visual impairment in albinism.

• Parents of Children with Albinism (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation)
  http://www.albinism.org/faq/children.html
• Facts About Albinism
  http://albinism.med.umn.edu/facts.htm

Optic Nerve Atrophy (ONA): Optic nerve atrophy is a permanent visual impairment caused by damage to the optic nerve.

• Fact Sheet from Blind Babies (dated 1/98)
  http://www.blindbabies.org/factsheet_ona.htm
• International Foundation for Optic Nerve Disease
  http://www.ifond.org/