12-year-old boy at risk of permanent blindness due to eating habits that many people have

The hospital discovered that the boy had optic atrophy, a condition in which the optic nerve cells shrink due to long-term damage. Doctors feared that the boy faced permanent blindness.

12 year old boy permanently blind

Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine (UK) published the case of an undisclosed 12-year-old boy in this country who lost his vision permanently.

The boy began having problems with his eyesight earlier this year, with his vision becoming worse in the morning and evening and only getting better during the day. Before long, he was unable to walk without leaning on his parents and would frequently bump into doors and walls.

One night, the boy woke up screaming, saying he couldn't see. His parents immediately took him to the hospital, where doctors discovered that his diet had left him severely deficient in important nutrients that help maintain healthy optic nerves.

Despite supplements and dietary therapy, experts fear the boy's vision loss will be permanent.

Doctors at Boston Children's Hospital said the boy had avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), an eating disorder that affects about half of all children with autism to varying degrees.

This new but growing disorder causes about 1 in 200 Americans to limit their food variety due to anxiety or unwanted colors, tastes, textures or smells.

The boy’s parents described him as a “picky eater” who was completely resistant to trying new foods or vitamins because he didn’t like the taste. Two days before he was taken to the hospital, his parents noticed swelling and scabs around his eyes. He would sometimes stare at the wall instead of the TV.

Doctors discovered the boy had optic nerve atrophy, which causes cells in the optic nerve to die due to long-term damage.

Researchers note that children with autism are more likely to develop ARFID and other food-related issues due to their unique sensory challenges, which make them especially sensitive to textures, tastes, and smells.

Children with autism often cling to routines, so they may prefer specific foods.

They believe the vision loss was caused by severe deficiencies of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, copper and zinc from the boy's restricted diet.

Previously, Bella, an autistic girl in the UK, also suffered from vitamin A deficiency due to a restricted diet (eating only jam, sandwiches and chips), which eventually led to blindness.

In particular, vitamin A deficiency is one of the most common causes of blindness in children in the United States.

This nutrient is a key component of rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein that helps produce pigments in the retina, helping to improve vision in low-light conditions.

Vitamin D helps the eyes produce tears, which are important for preventing dry eyes and washing away debris. Copper and zinc protect cells and structures in the retina, and vitamin C helps protect the eyes from damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light.

While vitamin A deficiency affects only one in 100 Americans, experts estimate that up to 70 percent of children under age 11 may be vitamin D deficient.

One in five children in the United States do not get enough vitamin C, although a severe deficiency, called scurvy, is rare in developed countries.

However, recent data shows that the incidence of scurvy has tripled from 8 per 100,000 children in 2016 to 27 per 100,000 children in 2020, resulting in tooth loss, brittle hair, flaky skin, difficulty gaining weight and anemia.

The boy's lack of nutrients also caused his toenails to develop horizontal ridges as they became brittle.

T. Linh (According to Daily Mail)

Source: https://giadinhonline.vn/chau-be-12-tuoi-nguy-co-mu-vinh-vien-do-thoi-quen-an-uong-nhieu-nguoi-mac-d202604.html