Anophthalmia

Anophthalmia (an·​oph·​thal·​mia) is when a child is born without one or both eyes. This is a birth defect that can result in blindness or limited vision.

What is anophthalmia?

Anophthalmia is a rare congenital (present at birth) condition that is marked by a child being born without one or both eyes — nothing will be present in the eye socket.  

A child with this condition may have other birth defects and health conditions as well, including:

What are the causes of anophthalmia?

Anophthalmia occurs during fetal development inside the mother’s womb, when one or both eyes do not properly form. This abnormality is typically due to a genetic mutation or abnormal chromosomes.