Albinism can affect vision in diffe

Albinism can affect vision in different ways in different children. Generally the less melanin pigment in the iris and retina of the child, the poorer their vision is. Some children may see very well while others may only see bright lights and large shapes. In Albinism it is usually only the central vision that is poor. The vision around the sides is often fine. Because of this although many children with Albinism have difficulty seeing small letters most have no difficulty seeing to get around.

In children with Albinism the iris is usually pale and thin with gaps in it. These are called ‘iris transillumination defects’. Because of this more light than usual gets into the eye. The back of the eye is also less pigmented and less dark. The extra light that gets into the eye scatters and bounces around the inside of the eye causing blurred vision. Because too much light enters the eyes, children with Albinism nearly always dislike bright light. This is called photophobia.

The central part of the retina at the back of the eye does not develop properly in the womb in children with albinism. The central part of the retina is called the macula. The centre of the macula is called the fovea. Children with Albinism typically have foveal hypoplasia. Hypo means less and plasia growth. So foveal hypoplasia means the most central part of the retina has not gown fully or properly. This also leads to reduced sharpness of central vision.

The nerve that joins the eyes to the brain also does not develop normally in the womb. This does not seem to affect vision too much but can be used to help confirm the diagnosis by looking for it using special electrical tests or scans.

The eyes of children with Albinism tend to make fast ‘to and fro’ movements. This is called Nystagmus. Because the eyes are constantly moving (like camera shake) this can also lead to blurred vision. Nystagmus does not usually appear until the child is older than 3 months. Before this time the eyes can appear to have ‘roving’ eye movements or just look normal.

Children with Albinism often need spectacles to help see more clearly. Children may also later develop a squint or a lazy eye.