This paper provides an outline of some of the important developmental consequences of neonatal and infant blindness to be further investigated during a three-year research programme funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) at Birmingham University. There is some evidence that the mother/blind infant relationship may be affected by the loss of sight, perhaps owing to the mother's reaction to her blind child, to differences in onset and frequency of smiling, and to differences in communication. Suggestions are made for child-rearing practices which may mitigate the developmental delays frequently reported in children with visual problems.
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