Down's Syndrome and vision

Children and adults with Down's syndrome are much more likely to have eye defects than members of the general population.

The defects include the long or short sight that many of us experience and for which we wear spectacles. But whereas only about 5-8% of ordinary children of primary school age need spectacles, approximately 60% of children with Down's syndrome need them.

Other defects are more common too, the most important being poor focusing (affecting three quarters of children with Down's syndrome) and reduced detail vision (which affects all children and adults with Down's syndrome even when they wear spectacles).