Anophthalmia

Anophthalmia is a rare condition in which a baby is born without one or both eyes, causing blindness or severe visual impairment on the affected side.

Common symptoms

Absence of a visible eye, no light perception on the affected side, and sometimes changes to the shape of the eye socket and face as a child grows.

Description

Anophthalmia occurs when the eye does not develop at all during pregnancy. It may affect one or both eyes and can happen on its own or as part of a wider genetic syndrome. The cause is often not known, but genetic changes and some environmental factors have been linked to it.

Because bone growth of the eye socket relies on the presence of a developing eye, babies with anophthalmia are fitted with expanders or prosthetic shells from early infancy to help the socket and surrounding face develop normally. Care is led by specialist ophthalmology and ocularistry teams.

There is no treatment to restore sight where there is no eye, but support focuses on helping children develop using their other senses and any vision they do have. Early input from habilitation specialists, education services, and family support is vital.