Night blindness may explain fear of the dark

Fear of the dark is a common complaint in children and is often attributed to attention seeking behaviour. Yet researchers in this week’s BMJ suggest that it may be due to night blindness – a diagnosis which can be easily missed.

They describe two children with an inherited form of stationary night blindness. Both were very frightened of the dark, had a history of bumping into things at night, and insisted that curtains were drawn much earlier than others would choose. One child had fear of shadows.

Although this form of night blindness is rare, it may be missed without appropriate history taking from the parents, particularly if there is no family history of visual problems, say the authors.

Fear of the dark in children may have a pathological basis. Recognition of the diagnosis and giving the child control of lighting conditions can transform family life, they conclude.