AIM: To understand the common conditions of visual impairment, including strabismus, optic atrophy and others in cerebral palsy children and their relation with the classification of cerebral palsy.

METHODS: Totally 265 children with cerebral palsy underwent routine ophthalmologic examination, including the position of eye and eye movement, nystagmus, anterior segment by slit lamp and direct ophthalmoscope examination.

RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-five children included 95 females and 170 males; 173 children with spasticity, 28 children with dyskinetic, 43 children with atonia, 18 children with mixed type and 3 children with ataxia. The visual impairments of the enrolled children were strabismus, congenital cataract, optic atrophy and others. There were 127 children(47.9%)with visual dysfunction, including 79 males and 48 females. There were 110 children with strabismus(41.5%),including 46 children(41.8%)with esotropia,54 children(49.1%)with exotropia, 10 children(9.1%)with vertical strabismus; 18 children with nystagmus; 3 children(6 eyes)with congenital cataract; 42 children(76 eyes, 15.8%)with optic atrophy, including 8 cases were monocular, 25 males with 46 eyes and 17 females with 30 eyes.

CONCLUSION: Different types of visual impairments often happen in children with cerebral palsy. Because child patients cannot express efficiently, they can't be found and treated in time. Vision dysfunction seriously affects systemic rehabilitation and the quality of life. Therefore early ocular examination and remedy are necessary for cerebral palsy children, which can improve their quality of life and social adaptability.