Visual deficits and improvements in children after perinatal hypoxia

This article reports on a study of the visual development of 38 infants, children, and youths who were neurologically impaired following perinatal hypoxia. All children showed impairments of one or more visual functions, indicating that perinatal hypoxia can have severe detrimental effects on visual development. However, in most patients visual development continued and visual improvements could be demonstrated up to age 16. The implications of these findings and suggestions for treatment are presented.