The Oxford Register of Early Childhood Impairment was set up in 1984 to collect information about children born in four counties of central England with severe visual impairment, cerebral palsy, or sensorineural deafness. Data have recently been published about children with severe visual impairment born in the four years 1984–87 (Crofts and colleagues; British Journal of Ophthalmology 1998;82:9–13; also editorialBritish Journal of Ophthalmology1998;82:1–2).

 There were 132 416 live births during the study period …