Harmful traditional eye practices in children: A potential cause of childhood blindness- A case series seen in north east Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Traditional eye practices are form of eye practices rooted in culture and tradition of  people handed down from generation  to generation. These traditional healers are members of the  community, hence, traditional eye practices are still common with us and  are a potential cause of  blindness even in children.

Presenting compliant: We present two cases both children under five years of age who were both  taken by their parents to traditional  healers who carried out procedures on them that resulted into  occlusion of the eye in case one with potential cause of amblyopia and  reversion of the lid with  potential cause of exposure keratopathy in case 2.

Intervention/treatment: Both cases had surgical intervention with the release of the  Ankyloblepharon in case 1 and the release of the  cicatricial ectropion and full thickness skin  grafting in case 2.

Conclusion: Traditional eye practices are still a common practice with us  and potential cause of  amblyopia and blindness in children increasing their blind years hence the need to intervene and  discourage  such practices within our communities.