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COLOBOMA |
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Amblyopia (lazy eye) - "All babies are born with poor eyesight.
As babies grow, their eyesight gets better. Good eyesight needs
a clear, focused image that is the same in both eyes. If the
image isn't clear in one eye, or if the image isn't the same in both
eyes, the vision pathways won't develop right. In fact, the
pathways may actually get worse."
From: http://familydoctor.org/handouts/460.html
Anophthalmia - The total lack of an eye. Monocular - one eye is missing. Bilateral - both eyes are missing.
Autosomal - affects both males and females equally.
Autosomal Recessive Birth Defect - A genetic condition that appears only in individuals who have received two copies of the defective gene (each parent provides a copy). The parents are carriers who have only one copy of the defective gene and do not exhibit the defect. If both parents are carriers, there is a 25% chance of a child inheriting both abnormal genes and, consequently, developing the defect. There is a 50% chance of a child inheriting only one abnormal gene and of being a carrier, like the parents, and there is a 25% chance of the child inheriting both normal genes.
Autosomal Dominant Birth Defect - The gene responsible for the defect can be transmitted from generation to generation. Each child born to someone with the gene has a 50-50 chance of receiving the gene and manifesting the defect.
Bilateral - affecting both the right and left eye.
Binocular Vision - Is the ability of both eyes to look at the same object. Someone with no binocular vision will have poor near depth perception. Things like steps and doorways may be a problem.
CHARGE Syndrome - Children with a specific set of birth defects. Coloboma
is one of the birth defects.
From: http://www.widerworld.co.uk/charge/whatis.htm
Choroid - a layer of blood vessels beneath the retina; it supplies blood to the retina.
Congenital - A condition that is present at birth resulting from either heredity or environmental influences or both.
Depth Perception (Stereoscopic)– The small distance between our eyes gives us stereoscopic depth perception. The brain combines the two slightly different images into one 3D image. It works most effectively for distances up to 18 feet. For objects at a greater distance, our brain uses relative size and motion to determine depth.
Early Intervention Program – A team of: doctors, therapists, teachers, and counselors. The programs usually cover children from 0 to 5 years old.
Enviromental - Genetic damage to one or both of the childs parents from something in the enviroment.
Eye Chart and Visual Acuity - (20/20) vision refers to the size print a person with normal vision can see at 20feet. Someone with (20/60) vision can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see at 60 feet. They have 1/3 the visual acuity of a person with normal vision. Someone that is considered legally blind (20/200) vision has 1/10 the visual acuity of someone with normal vision. What a person with normal vision sees at 200 feet they have to be 20 feet away from to see.
Fovea - The fovea is an indentation in the center of the macula. Its diameter is only 1.5 mm or about 1/16 inch. This small part of our retina is responsible for our highest visual acuity. It is the center of our central vision.
Fundus - The part of the eye the doctor examines with a fundoscope is called the fundus of the eye: retina, macula, fovea, optic disc and retinal blood vessels.
Genetic - Tending to occur among members of a family usually by heredity.
Genetic Counseling - Counseling to advise prospective parents on the likelihood of genetic disorders in their future children.
Glaucoma - This disease increases the fluid pressure inside
the eye, leading to loss of side vision and eventually total
blindness. The increased pressure destroys the optic nerve.
From: http://www.childrensglaucoma.com
Hyperopia - (farsightedness)
Iris - The colored part of the eye: brown, green, blue, etc. It is a ring of muscle fibers that contract and expand opening and closing the pupil, in response to the brightness of surrounding light.
Legal Blindness (Legally Blind) - A person is considered "legally blind", in the USA, when their visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction, or their field of vision is 20 degrees or less in the better eye. Coloboma of the macular and or optic nerve can cause legal blindness.
Low Vision - Vision that cannot be corrected with standard lenses, medical treatment and/or surgery. The person can't read the news paper at a normal distance. They can't see well enough to drive a car safely or may only have a day time drivers license. About one in every 20 Americans has low vision.
Low Vision Doctor - An Optometrists who is trained to fit Visual Aids. Things like: strong magnifying glasses, telescopic glasses, hand held telescopes, CCTV's etc. These devices are called Visual Aids they will not correct a person's vision, back to normal, but will make daily tasks that require vision much easier.
Macula - The most sensitive part of the retina. It is responsible for our central, or reading vision. This part of the retina gives us 20/20 vision.
Mainstreaming - Teaching disabled children in public schools instead of schools for the disabled.
Marfan syndrome - An inheritable disorder of the connective tissue it affects the skeletal system, cardiovascular system, eyes, and skin. Iris coloboma can be one of the syndromes.
Microphthalmia (small eye syndrome) - Usually only one eye is affected. The eye will have very poor to no vision in it.
Myopia - (nearsightedness)
Nystagmus - a rapid, involuntary oscillation (usually back
and forth) of the eyes that causes impaired vision. It is
often seen in children born with poor vision.
From: http://www.nystagmus.org/
Occupational Therapist - is a person with special training in infant and child development. They work with parents and teachers to provide the child with activities that promote normal growth and development.
Ocularist - a highly skilled technician that fits and creates ocular prostheses: Scleral shells, prosthetic eyes and cosmetic contacts. The ocularist shows the patient how to handle and care for it and provides long-term care through periodic examinations.
Optic Fissure (foetal cleft) - A gap opens on the underside of each eye bud to provide noursihment for the developing eye. It has to close before birth.
Optic Disk - The spot on the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
Optic Nerve - This is the cable connecting the eye to the brain.
Pediatric Physical Therapist - They work with visually impaired babies and preschool children helping them develop their visual and motor skills.
Photophobia (Light sensitivity) - Eye discomfort from bright light. Sun glasses or tinted contact lenses are often needed.
Resource Room - A room set up in a public school to provide assistance to disabled children. Visually impaired children can use this room’s adaptive equipment, or get special tutoring in subjects where they are having trouble. Subjects not taught in the classroom like Braille will be taught here also. The goal is for them to spend most of their day in classrooms with their sighted peers.
Resource Teacher or Special Education Teacher - A teacher with special training in working with disabled children.
Renal-Coloboma Syndrome - Genetic condition causing kidney abnormalities and Coloboma.
Retina - The film of the eye. It converts light rays into electrical signals and sends them to the brain through the optic nerve.
Retinal detachment - The retina can become separated from from the inner wall of the eye. Unless it is re-attached soon, permanent vision loss will result.
Scleral shells - (prosthetic shells) A shell that fits over the existing
but smaller totally blind (Microphthalic) eye. They are not just for
cosmetic reasons. The presence of a shell makes the eye socket grow
keeping the face groth symmetrical.
An Ocularist is the person that fits the shell.
From: http://www.ocularist.org/refer_to_ocularist.html
sporadic - occuring by chance no reason or cause can be identified, sometimes called a developmental fluke. Most cases of coloboma are sporadic.
Strabismus (squinting or cross-eyes) - Both eyes cannot be directed at the same object (binocular vision), because of an imbalance in one or more of the muscles that move the eyes. Double vision results and if left untreated the brain learns to ignore the vision from the weaker eye. Children with parts of there retina missing from Coloboma may have this conditon. Their brain is trying to find good retina material to focus an image on.
Unilateral - affecting just one eye.
Visual field - The normal field of vision is about 140 degrees for each eye (monocular vision) and about 180 degrees for both eyes (binocular vision). Coloboma can reduce the field of vision.
Visual Impairment - A person is considered to be "visually impaired" when their visual acuity is 20/70 or less in the better eye with best correction, or a visual field of 140 degrees or less in the better eye.
Charlie Web - Moderator
