2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
6 Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Part II: Pediatric Ophthalmology
Chapter 16: Decreased Vision in Infants and Pediatric Vision Rehabilitation
Classification of Visual Impairment in Infants and Children
Delayed Visual Maturation
If normal visual fixation and tracking do not develop within the first 3–4 months of life, visual behavior may still normalize subsequently; this condition is termed delayed visual maturation (DVM), or cortical inattention. There are 3 subgroups of infants with DVM: otherwise healthy infants; infants with systemic or neurologic abnormalities; and infants with associated ocular disorders presenting with poor vision out of proportion to the ocular condition.
In an otherwise healthy infant with suspected DVM, the following findings suggest a good visual and neurologic prognosis: some reaction to light, normal pupillary responses, no nystagmus, and normal ocular structures. If the visual behavior does not progress toward normal by 4–6 months of age, further investigation is warranted to assess for other causes of persistent visual impairment.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 10 - Glaucoma. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.