Congenital Glaucoma

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Congenital glaucoma is a rare form of glaucoma that is present at birth. Like other types of glaucoma it is characterized by increased pressure within the eye but unlike other types of glaucoma it is caused by the abnormal development of the eye’s drainage system before birth. Glaucoma is a complicated disease in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness.

Current Visual Acuity

20/50 Right Eye (with glasses on)

20/400 Left Eye (with glasses on)

Lack of depth perception - this is caused by the fact that his left eye has worse vision than his right and he mainly uses one eye to see. Two functioning eyes are needed for good depth perception.

Precautions

Hygiene: Christopher needs to be encouraged to keep his fingers out of his eyes and his hands clean. Pink eye is a medical emergency for Christopher because he does have a surgically created hole in his eye that could allow infection to enter the inside of his eye. This could cause vision loss and even blindness if not treated promptly with antibiotics. Washing hands and keeping fingers out of his eyes will decrease the likelihood of this infection. If someone in your classroom has pink eye please inform us as soon as possible.

No contact sports/No fast ball sports: Christopher is unable to play fast ball sports because of his lack of depth perception. This lack of depth perception and his reduced visual acuity could put him at risk for eye injuries. Preservation of sight is important to us, Christopher already has a progressive eye disease that could continue to deteriorate during his life so keeping him away from things that could harm his eyes is so important. Physical activity is important for his health please allow him to participate in physical activities. If you are unsure about the safety of an activity please consult with us any time.

Wind Instruments: Christopher is unable to play wind instruments because they increase eye pressure. Please give him alternative instruments.

Swimming and Water: Because Christopher has a hole in one of his eyes he is at risk for infection. Please do not put water in his eyes because it could be contaminated with bacteria. We avoid spraying water in his face. He does not swim.

Doctor Visits and Treatment

Congenital glaucoma must be monitored for life so Christopher does need to see doctors regularly. He is also on medications to control eye pressure. Christopher has had several eye surgeries and over the summer (May 2011) he had a pressure release valve implanted in his right eye.

For more information about our family’s personal story with having two children with congenital glaucoma please visit www.gl-foundation.org.

Thank you so much,

In case of an emergency with respect to Christopher’s Eyes (if you can’t reach us) please contact:

148 13th Str148

Classroom Tips

Avoid glare – teach him to sit with his back to the windows or other light sources
Always allow him to get as close as necessary for best viewing even if he is only few inches away from material
He may not see facial expressions so be vocal about your expressions
Provide flexible seating, so that he can move around the classroom or in front of the classroom when needed
Use high contrast and bold writing
Present classroom materials with a simple background
Keep work area free of clutter
Allow sunglasses for light sensitivity or protective goggles when necessary to protect the eye from harm
Sit him close to you when you are doing demonstrations or reading a book at the gathering area
Teach him about personal space, some students with visual impairments will get close to another person’s face or body when talking to them in an effort to see them better; this is not socially expectable