The decline of admissions for xerophthalmia at Cicendo Eye Hospital, Indonesia, 1981-1992

Xerophthalmia due to vitamin A deficiency is a leading cause of blindness in children and has been a serious problem in Indonesia. To determine whether progress has been made in the eradication of xerophthalmia, we assessed hospital admissions for xerophthalmia at Cicendo Eye Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia. The hospital admission registry from 1981 to 1992 was reviewed. Between January 1981 and December 1992, there were 117 admissions for xerophthalmia, and of these, 63 were boys and 54 were girls, with an average age of 3.9 ± 0.3 years. Hospital admissions for xerophthalmia declined steeply from 1981 to 1985, with a few rare cases from 1985 through 1992. During the same period from 1981 through 1992, there were no overall changes in total hospital admissions or total pediatric admissions. These results suggest that xerophthalmia is becoming less common in Indonesia.