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technology

Finding Lost Smiles: The Role of Facial Recognition in Reuniting Families

Nov 21, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #Back, #children

“That is the nightmare of every single parent out there,” said Callahan Walsh, a child advocate and executive director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). For any parent, just thinking about losing a child in a busy crowd can feel like the worst nightmare. The heart-wrenching fear, the frantic search, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness are emotions no one should ever have to endure. Children are the very essence of a parent’s world; their safety and well-being form the core of countless hopes and dreams. Still, in places like shopping malls, crowded fairs, and vibrant public events, the unimaginable can happen: a child may go missing.

However, this scary situation is changing thanks to facial recognition technology. This advanced tool is becoming a vital source of hope for reuniting lost children with their worried parents. A remarkable example of this technology’s potential unfolded in New Delhi, where the police conducted a groundbreaking trial revealing the transformative potential of facial recognition technology in reuniting missing children with their families. They compared around 45,000 pictures of unidentified children with 60,000 records of missing kids. The results were truly impressive: in only four days, the software correctly identified nearly 3,000 lost children, turning sadness into joyous reunions.

This story highlights how impactful facial recognition can be in cases of missing children. It gives us a glimpse into a future where technology ensures that the joyful laughter of children continues to echo in their families’ hearts, even amidst the busiest of crowds.

Transforming Search Efforts

Before modern technology, locating missing children depended on Amber Alerts and time-consuming searches. Amber Alerts necessitated swift action from the community and media involvement. Meanwhile, physical searches often took a long time and were not always effective over large areas. These traditional methods had limitations, including delays and inefficiencies. Facial recognition technology has significantly enhanced the process of locating missing children, providing a faster and more accurate method for tracking them down and addressing the shortcomings of older methods.

This technology uses complex algorithms to analyze and verify individuals based on their facial features. It captures an image of a person’s face and identifies unique characteristics such as eye distance and nose shape. This information is then converted into a digital template, which is compared to a database of known faces. Pattern recognition techniques make accurate identification easier. Modern facial recognition systems can analyze faces with 99.97% accuracy and adapt well because they continuously adjust their algorithms using real-time data. This allows them to remain accurate as conditions change, such as lighting or shifting crowds. These systems seamlessly integrate with existing security networks and collaborate with surveillance cameras for real-time analysis and alerts. They also enhance emergency procedures by automating responses, such as alerting teams or securing areas when a child goes missing. Thanks to advances in technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, these tools keep refining their algorithms with new data, making them more reliable for safely locating missing children.

Bringing Innovation to Everyday Spaces

In shopping centers, facial recognition technology plays an important role in finding lost children. Its real-time surveillance ensures constant monitoring throughout the space. If someone reports a missing child, security teams can use this technology to sift through live feeds and recordings to track where the child has been across stores and common areas. This helps to ensure quick action and boosts the chances of bringing kids home safely.

At carnivals and amusement parks, where large crowds are common, facial recognition technology becomes even more crucial for visitor safety. For instance, during the Rio Carnival, the technology was instrumental in ensuring a secure environment amidst the massive influx of people. The tracking was continuous, so quickly locating any missing child wasn’t a problem. Instead, it helped manage large crowds effectively! By watching entrances and key spots throughout parks, security could respond promptly if anyone went missing while deterring possible threats as well.

During other public events, such as concerts or fairs, facial recognition technology extends its benefits by maintaining safety and order among large groups. The system helps monitor wide areas and large crowds by tracking their movements, which aids in quickly locating individuals who may go missing using live footage analysis. Additionally, these systems can integrate with event management tools, enhancing security measures and improving the overall attendee experiences.

A Beacon of Hope in a Crowded World

The ability to quickly locate missing children through facial recognition brings profound psychological and emotional benefits to families, as prompt reunification significantly reduces the trauma and anxiety experienced by both the child and their parents. Beyond individual families, it fosters a sense of safety and trust within communities by enhancing security measures, leading to increased public confidence.

By enhancing our ability to swiftly locate missing children and proactively prevent such incidents, facial recognition technology not only improves safety but also builds greater security and trust within communities. As we navigate the complexities of bustling public spaces, this technology stands as a beacon of hope, transforming potential nightmares into stories of swift resolution and renewed peace of mind.

“Facial recognition is transforming the way we protect our children in public spaces. It doesn’t just offer a solution; it restores peace of mind to parents by turning moments of fear into swift, joyful reunions, making the safety of our loved ones a priority in every crowded environment.” Said, Oleg Kurochkin, Business Development Director, APAC Region, RecFaces.

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Little Footprints Preschool Celebrates Community Service with Over 4,000 Children in SSDB Initiative

Nov 4, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #children, #Participate

SINGAPORE, Nov. 4, 2024- The children of Little Footprints Preschool (LFP) have been on a mission to do good in the community. Since 2016, the schools have been an ardent supporter of the Start Small, Dream Big (SSDB) project, an initiative by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) that aims to teach each child responsible citizenship.

Launched in 2015, the initiative encourages participating schools to create and implement programmes for children with a community element. Children are encouraged to innovate, problem-solve and channel their unique strengths towards helping others in teacher-guided projects over six months, sometimes involving their parents too. Over the past eight years, LFP has championed more than 300 projects across very diverse themes, from wildlife conservation to caring for the elderly, sustainability and so on.

SSDB celebrated a decade of doing good this year with a celebration at Gardens by the Bay on 3 May 2024. Three LFP centres joined the celebrations, with English Preschool Educator Ms Amabel Toh and K2 preschooler Navisha Kumari Nishad taking centre stage as the event hosts. A class of LFP preschoolers also delighted the audience with a vibrant dance performance. Chock full of meaningful moments, the day’s programme commemorated the incredible joys and fulfilment of a long journey in nurturing community service and environmental stewardship in young lives.

The SSDB journey culminated in the Early Childhood Celebrations (ECC) organised by ECDA on 2 November at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The event showcased the achievements and talents of preschoolers from across Singapore. Children from Little Footprints Preschool Jurong West 660 were specially invited to perform at this prestigious finale, where they inspired the audience with their passion and creativity.

Across various LFP centres, children have been enthusiastically embarking on various community initiatives. On 21 June 2024, children from LFP Woodgrove distributed care packs filled with items donated by their parents to hardworking community workers. Smiles and high-fives were seen as grateful community workers received the care packs from the centre’s children. Six-year-old Giselle Ng said, “I felt happy giving out the care packs to the drivers who deliver food to our house. I want to show our appreciation to them for being kind to me and my family!”

Meanwhile, promoting inclusivity and empathy was the theme of LFP Admiralty’s project. They welcomed a guest speaker from the Down Syndrome Association (Singapore), who gave the children an informative talk and storytelling session about Down syndrome. Joanna Rebecca, Principal of LFP Admiralty, emphasised that the centre has consistently prioritised teaching children the values of empathy and fostering a connected society.

The LFP Jurong East 248 preschoolers turned their attention to animal welfare with their “Wild but not Free” project in partnership with Acres. During the interactive session, the children learned about the detrimental impacts of animal poaching from Acres’ educator and created posters to encourage people to halt animal poaching. “Animals should be in the wild, not cages!” declared six-year-old Koo Yu Zac.

Rowena Mark Ramos, Head of Curriculum at Babilou Family Singapore, the parent company of LFP, expressed her pride in the students’ achievements, stating, “SSDB aligns perfectly with our mission to nurture caring, conscientious leaders of tomorrow. We are incredibly proud of our children for leading the way to make a difference.”

Through these projects, LFP aims to nurture a generation of compassionate and environmentally conscious leaders who can someday give back to the community.

health

Strategies for Enhancing Children’s Oral Health

Oct 25, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #children, #health

October 25th, 2024: In response to the oral health crisis affecting millions of children in England due to tooth decay, a group of recommendations has been put up by scientists at Newcastle University. The research urges the new government to create a national strategy for children’s oral health and offers suggestions for lowering childhood sugar intake, optimising fluoride exposure, and expanding access to dental care.

The study, which is titled “An evidence-based plan for improving children’s oral health with and through educational settings,” was produced by Child of the North and Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives think tank. It focusses on how the incoming government may prioritise young people’s life opportunities in the formulation and implementation of public policy.

In England, tooth decay affects millions of children and young adults, and the research highlights the significant and varied scope of this problem and how it lowers their quality of life. If left untreated, it can lead to toothache, insomnia, changed eating patterns, and even harm speech and language development. Children who suffer from poor dental health may be less likely to develop to their full potential and experience a decrease in confidence. Additionally, there is evidence that indicates the impact of dental decay on children living in underprivileged areas is greater, even when taking into consideration the various degrees of dental decay.

In order to enhance children’s oral health and lessen social disparities—particularly those faced by youth in the North of England—the research suggests that the incoming government create and execute a national strategy for improving children’s oral health. A national board of representatives from departmental and local government offices, dental associations and speciality societies, academic institutions, citizen representatives, and charitable groups would be in charge of this. This approach would consist of:

· Minimising sugar intake through legislative measures like extending the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to cover additional sugar-sweetened drinks like sugary milkshakes.

· Imposing limitations on the promotion, marketing, and advertising of food.
restricting sales of energy drinks with caffeine to those under the age of sixteen.

· Maximising the amount of fluoride exposure by combining community water fluoridation with more focused initiatives like supervised brushing.

Additionally, it lays out recommendations for how early childhood and education-based interventions—co-designed by health visitors, nurseries, and schools—can be optimised for their impact.

The study showcases cutting-edge methods that are now being used to treat children’s oral health issues. It outlines the important role that local government may play in lowering sugar intake and the various approaches that local governments have taken to cut back on the consumption of foods and beverages that are rich in fat, sugar, and salt.

In comparison to their southern counterparts, children and young people living in the North of England are more severely impacted by higher levels of deprivation and associated unmet dental needs, according to Paula Waterhouse, President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry and Professor of Paediatric Dentistry at Newcastle University. She said: “It is time to establish an oral health strategy for children and young people across England. The evidence base garnered by existing oral health research should be used to inform Government strategy and implementation of both national and local policies.

“We need to act now. Our children’s health depends on it and it’s everybody’s business – parents, dental and medical teams, health visitors, industry, education colleagues, and policy makers. We all have a part to play.”

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Raising Awareness About ADHD among Children in India

Oct 23, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #among, #children

by Dr. Gowri Ravi Chinthalapalli, Consultant – Child Development, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. Around 7% of school-age children in India suffer from ADHD, one of childhood’s most prevalent neurodevelopmental diseases. Although it can affect anyone, boys are more likely to experience it than girls.

Diagnosis & Symptoms

A trained health expert, such as a doctor in the field of developmental medicine, psychologist or psychiatrist, diagnoses ADHD. Standardized tests, rating scales, and clinical interviews are frequently used in the diagnosis procedure. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the three main signs and symptoms of ADHD.
Inattentiveness: Children with ADHD may have trouble focusing on specifics, make thoughtless errors in their work or other activities, and act as though they are not listening when spoken to directly. Also, they could struggle to start and finish jobs, organise their work, and carry out directions.
Hyperactivity: Children with ADHD may be fidgety and restless, find it difficult to stay still, and constantly be on the go. Moreover, they may talk too much, run or climb too much, and have trouble playing quietly.
Impulsivity: Youngsters who have ADHD may behave impulsively, have trouble waiting their turn, and interrupt others. Moreover, they could struggle to regulate their emotions and frequently lose their temper.

Myths vs. Facts

There are numerous widespread misconceptions and preconceptions about ADHD. The most typical ones are shown below, along with supporting facts:

Myth: Just a behaviour issue causes ADHD.
Fact: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that it results from variations in the brain functioning.
Myth: ADHD patients have trouble focusing on anything.
Fact: Children with ADHD can focus on things that interest them, but they may find it difficult to pay attention to things that are dull or difficult.
Myth: ADHD will eventually go away in kids.
Fact : Indeed, ADHD requires lifelong therapy, but it is manageable.

Impact on Daily Life

Academics: Children with ADHD may have trouble focusing in class, finishing their work, and completing assignments. Also, they can be more likely to experience behavioural issues at school.
Social interactions: Children with ADHD may struggle to make and maintain friendships. They could also be more prone to interpersonal disputes.
General health: Children with ADHD may struggle with despair, anxiety, and low self-esteem. They might also be more inclined to indulge in harmful activities like drug usage.
Coexisting Conditions : ADHD frequently coexists with other illnesses such autism spectrum disorder, learning impairments, anxiety, and depression. To maximise a child’s overall growth and wellbeing, it is crucial to recognise and address any coexisting illnesses.

Treatment Options

Therapies: Counselling can assist kids with ADHD in developing coping mechanisms, behaviour management, and social skills.
Medicine: Medication can aid with impulse control, attentiveness, and focus.
Lifestyle adjustments: Making lifestyle adjustments like exercising frequently, eating well, and getting adequate sleep can also help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Adhering to screentime guidelines is also important to manage behaviours.

Parenting and Family

Although raising a child with ADHD might be difficult, it’s vital to keep in mind that you’re not doing it alone. These are some pointers for raising an ADHD child:

Be upbeat and motivating: Negative feedback is frequently experienced by children with ADHD. It’s critical to concentrate on their abilities and successes.
Provide structure and routine: An atmosphere that is predictable and structured is beneficial for kids with ADHD. Set up consistent schedules for your meals, bedtime, and schoolwork.
Divide tasks into manageable chunks: Complex tasks may be challenging for kids with ADHD. Tasks should be broken down into smaller, easier to handle phases.
Provide regular breaks because children with ADHD may struggle to remain still for extended periods of time. Give them frequent breaks so they may stretch their legs and let off some steam.

Neurodiversity

The idea of neurodiversity holds that each brain is unique and that there is no such thing as a “normal” brain. The neurodiversity movement promotes the inclusion and acceptance of individuals with all brain types, including those with ADHD. It’s critical to recognise each person with ADHD for their specific qualities. Kids with ADHD are frequently imaginative, active, and eager. They might also possess a strong sense of compassion and fairness.

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Children’s Liver Health in Focus: INASL Organizes Awareness Program

Jul 29, 2024 by Mansi 0 Comments #children, #INASL, #Liver Health, #NAFLD

Kochi, July 29, 2024 – With the alarming rise in liver diseases among children, particularly Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), a comprehensive school health program was conducted to raise awareness about liver health. Organized by the Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver (INASL) in association with Aster Medcity, Kochi, this initiative aims to combat the increasing incidence of obesity and more serious diseases like fatty liver due to lack of exercise, increased phone and television use, and unhealthy eating habits in children. Almost 400 teachers, parents and students, participated in the class. Similar sessions will be organized in various schools across Kochi.

Nurturing Young Minds and Bodies

The event, titled “Nurturing Young Minds and Bodies”, was held at St. John’s Visitation Public School, Muppathadam, Aluva, as part of the 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of INASL, scheduled from August 7th to 10th at Le Meridian Kochi.

Key topics addressed during the program included obesity, pediatric fatty liver, healthy and unhealthy diet practical tips, exercise, and balancing screen time. The initiative focused on educating children about maintaining a healthy lifestyle to prevent liver diseases.

Dr. Geetha Mammayil, Paediatric Medical Gastroenterologist at Aster Medcity, inaugurated the program. The sessions were led by Dr. Parvathy L, Paediatric Endocrinologist and Dr. Irshad, Pediatrician from Aster Medcity, Kochi, Dr. Remya Pai, Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Lisie Hospital and Ms. Rinta, Clinical Dietitian, Aster Medcity. These experts provided valuable insights and practical advice on maintaining liver health through balanced nutrition, adequate physical activity, and mindful screen time management.

This initiative emphasizes the social cause of INASL to promote liver health awareness among children and adolescents, aiming to foster healthier lifestyles and prevent chronic liver diseases from an early age.

The winners of the drawing and speech competitions, organized as part of Environment Day, were awarded by Dr. G.N. Ramesh, Senior Consultant, Medical Gastroenterologist at Aster Medcity.

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Pacific Mall Dehradun Hosts Little Picasso Event to Foster Creativity Among Children

Jul 22, 2024 by Mansi 0 Comments #Abhishek Bansal, #Art Gallery, #children, #Little Picasso Event, #Pacific Mall Dehradun

Dehradun, 22nd July 2024: Pacific Mall Dehradun successfully hosted the “Little Picasso” event, which aimed to inspire creativity and artistic expression among children aged 4-12. The event, held within the mall premises, featured a variety of engaging activities designed to nurture young talents and provide a platform for artistic exploration.

pacific mall

Children immersed themselves in the Painting Zone, equipped with easels, canvases, and a vibrant array of paints. They competed enthusiastically, creating colourful masterpieces in hopes of winning certificates and exciting hampers. The event was led by local artists and art teachers, and scheduled workshops imparted basic techniques and encouraged creativity. Professional artists conducted live demonstrations, showcasing their skills and providing valuable tips to budding young artists.

The Art Gallery proudly displayed the children’s creations throughout the event. An art competition, categorized by age and judged by local artists, culminated in awards for outstanding artistic achievements. The Collaborative Mural provided a communal canvas where children contributed collaboratively, fostering teamwork and creativity. A themed Photo Booth captured joyful moments as children posed with their artwork. Face Painting added an extra touch of artistic fun, allowing children to transform into their favourite characters or creatures.

Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Group says, “Little Picasso at Pacific Mall Dehradun was a tremendous success. It brought together young artists and encouraged their creativity in a fun and interactive environment. We were delighted to witness the enthusiasm and talent of the children who participated.”

Events like these underscore the commitment to providing engaging experiences that enrich the community and create lasting memories. The fun-filled atmosphere attracted families to bring their little ones to more such events. Pacific Mall Dehradun wishes to organize more such events in the future..

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Children and parents enjoyed themselves at the Paramount Golf Foreste Society

Jul 17, 2024 by Mansi 0 Comments #children, #Curious Mind, #Paramount Golf Foreste Society, #parents

Greater Noida: Curious Mind, one of the trusted play schools of Delhi NCR dedicated to early childhood education, partnered with Petatoes, a leading company in child care and development. The power-packed collaboration hosted an eventful evening for the kids, ” Tinky Tyes” on 13th July, at Paramount Golf Foreste Society’s Club House, Greater Noida. The event was hosted to encourage the parents to know about the exceptional support and resources they can have for their little ones.

ChILDREN

Curious Mind has long been recognized, for its innovative approach to early childhood education. The play school focuses on nurturing young minds, fostering creativity, and laying the groundwork for lifelong learning.

Petatoes is on a mission to make every moment of the parents with their little ones even more special. Petatoes is known not only for offering great products but is a community of parents who laugh together, learn together, and grow together. The event was graced by the founder of Curious Mind, Mrs. Deepa Rani, and the Founder of Petatoes, Mrs. Gunika Arora. The teachers of Curious Mind hosted the event with absolute elegance and we saw the little champs of ages 0-5 years rocking the ramp with their super cuteness and adorable moves. They shaked their legs with ultimate thrill and enjoyment.

There were also activities for the parents and fun games to enjoy the evening. Mrs.Gunika introduced the vision and mission of Petatoes and how it can help young parents help their little ones enjoy a meaningful, happy, and blessed childhood for a better tomorrow. Mrs.Deepa Rani also spoke about the importance of a healthy and happy childhood for the kids. Parents, who attended the event also shared the issues they face in nurturing the little ones. Both Mrs. Gunika and Mrs. Deepa talked about how Curious Mind and Petatoes can be instrumental in their parenting journey.

All kids received exclusive gifts from Curious Mind and Petatoes, and that gifted, a charming smile to each kid’s and parent’s face.

The collaboration aims to support parents through every stage of their child’s growth, ensuring each step is happy and memorable. Curious Mind and Petatoes are committed to creating a positive and enriching environment for children and their families.

technology

Agora Partners with Miko IoT to Provide Secure Video Calling for Parents and Children

Jul 2, 2024 by Sujata 0 Comments #Agora, #children, #kid-safe, #Miko, #Video Calling

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, ensuring the safety and connectivity of young children with their parents is more crucial than ever. Miko IoT has revolutionized this aspect by partnering with Agora to deliver a cutting-edge, secure video calling solution. This collaboration empowers parents to seamlessly connect, monitor, and engage with their children aged 5-10, providing peace of mind through robust, real-time communication. By addressing the inherent challenges of integrating video calling with IoT devices, Miko IoT and Agora are setting a new standard for secure and reliable family connectivity in the digital age.

The Problem:
Searching for a reliable video call solution that works with IoT The team at Miko IoT needed a stable and reliable video calling feature to help parents connect, monitor, and engage with their children. They explored a few video SDK solutions and found that most solutions on the market didn’t provide the compatibility, reliability, and quality they needed in their product. Since Miko is an IoT product, it was challenging to find video calling SDKs that were compatible with the hardware. On the reliability side, video freeze made it impossible for them to provide the seamless parent/child video calling experience they wanted to offer. Since Miko is a product for children, robust security for the video calling experience was also essential.

The Solution
Scalable kid-safe video calling Agora’s video calling SDK solution provided Miko with the safety and reliability they needed to confidently launch a video calling feature on the robot. Agora’s expansive cross-platform compatibility and dedicated IoT support made integration easy for both the Miko hardware and its application. Miko prioritizes data privacy and security for parents and children, and Agora’s strict adherence to data privacy and security compliance aligned with Miko’s priorities. With Agora, Miko was able to add high- quality video calls with minimal delays. The video calling feature allows parents to stay in touch, monitor, and connect with their kids whether they are away from home or in another room. Agora’s Signalling product uses real-time data synchronization to enable the parents to move Miko around to follow the child during a video call.

“Agora’s Video Calling feature enables parents and children to securely stay connected through the Miko robot. It also empowers parents to monitor their child’s well-being, providing peace of mind for busy parents.” – a customer of Miko.

Results & ROI:
Increased parent engagement and high call success rate Agora’s reliable and easy-to-implement Video Calling and Signaling helped Miko offer safe, real-time connection between parents and children. These new features lead to a significant boost in parent
engagement with the app. Additionally, Miko has tracked the performance of their video calls and found an extremely high 99.83% average call success rate, underscoring the reliability of the technology. They also recorded an extremely low audio freeze rate of 0.17% and a video freeze rate of 2.58%. The high call success rate and low freeze rates contributed to the increased engagement and retention rate on the parent application. “Coupling Agora’s secure, high-quality video communication with Miko not only significantly enhanced
parent engagement with the app but also instilled a sense of trust and reliability in our platform.” — Sneh Vaswani, Co-Founder & CEO, Miko Robot

Miko has sold 500,000+ units to date, with ~70% of sales from the US + units to date, with ~70% of sales from the US. Miko IoT envisions creating a better and more interconnected environment for kids with Agora. Its future updates include helping children and their grandparents and friends connect in real- time, and Agora plays a significant role in making it happen.

Building on the successful partnership with Agora, Miko IoT will soon unveil these new features

designed to enhance communication between children and their families:

1. Extended family connections: Soon, not just parents, but also grandparents, aunts, uncles and other trusted loved ones will be able to join secure video calls with children, all with parental approval.
2. Interactive video calls: Miko will be introducing interactive elements to make calls more engaging. Parents can send emojis during a call, and Miko will respond with real-time emotional reactions, deepening the emotional connection.
3. Visual Direction of Arrival (DOA) technology: This new technology lets Miko respond to the direction of the speaker’s voice. If a child moves or turns away during a call, Miko will automatically adjust its position to maintain eye contact, enhancing interaction Furthermore, Miko will continue to prioritize child safety and privacy in the development of these features, collaborating closely with Agora to implement robust security measures.

health

Spotlight on Hereditary Eye Diseases

Apr 11, 2024 by Gayathri Pariti 0 Comments #children, #cornea, #Eye Diseases, #lens, #retina

Hyderabad, April 11, 2024: Hereditary Eye Diseases (HED), as the name suggests, are genetic conditions inherited from parents to their children. These diseases affect various eye parts, including the retina, cornea, lens, and optic nerve. HED encompasses a range of eye conditions that can lead to poor vision, increased pressure in the eye, or difficulty seeing during the day or night. Some examples of HED include congenital corneal opacities, where children are born with corneal scars, congenital cataracts, congenital glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa. If left untreated, these conditions can impact an individual’s quality of life and even lead to blindness.

dr manjushree

Hereditary eye diseases (HED) can vary in severity and progression. Early detection, treatment, and guidance are crucial for managing these conditions and preserving vision. Genetic counselling may be advised for individuals with a family history of HED to assess their risk and make informed decisions about their eye health. Additionally, genetic counselling helps address concerns that parents often have regarding the risk of passing on the disease through future pregnancies. In regions where consanguineous marriages are common, the risk of passing down genetic defects associated with HED may be higher. This highlights the importance of raising awareness about HED and implementing early detection methods to mitigate lifelong consequences.

Facts about HED

An earlier population study done at L V Prasad Eye Institutes (Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study or APEDS) revealed some shocking facts about consanguinity and its effects on the eyes. The study found that the risk of certain eye diseases increased due to marriages between uncles and nieces or first cousins.

These findings highlight the need for greater awareness about the risks associated with consanguinity and the importance of genetic counselling for prospective parents. Families may attribute vision loss to other factors, overlooking the genetic component of the condition. Additionally, limited access to specialized eye care facilities exacerbates the problem, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment and Management:

Some cases can be treated by standard surgical procedures, while others may not be corrected surgically. Low vision devices, lifestyle modifications, and supportive care may be required for these cases. That’s why it’s crucial to reduce the risk of these conditions through timely detection, genetic counselling, genetic testing, and breaking the cycle of propagation.

Dr Manjushree Bhate, Consultant Ophthalmology at L V Prasad Eye Institute’s Kallam Anji Reddy campus, Hyderabad, underscores the importance of this initiative, stating, “As a trusted eye care institution in the region, we understand the profound impact of hereditary eye diseases on individuals and families. By raising awareness and offering timely and tailored interventions for irreversible blinding conditions, including low-vision devices, vision rehabilitation, and other services, we aim to educate the society and help alleviate the burden of these ailments. Additionally, providing accurate genetic counselling can help us preserve our vision for future generations.”

Tag: children

Transforming Search Efforts

Bringing Innovation to Everyday Spaces

A Beacon of Hope in a Crowded World