Who is affected by color vision deficiency?
Almost all color vision problems are inherited, and present at birth. It is estimated that 1 in every 12 males, and one in every 200 females, are born with some form of color vision deficiency. In later life, some serious eye diseases, and certain medications can cause color vision deficiencies to appear. How is a color vision deficiency inherited? The ‘colorblindness gene’ is passed down through the mother’s side of the family. A colorblind male will have inherited the condition through his mother’s genes (although she will probably not be colorblind). A colorblind female will have inherited the condition through a combination of her mother’s genes (probably not colorblind) and her father’s genes(colorblind). Looking for more information on the genetics of colorblindness? Who should be tested for color vision deficiency? People who should have there color vision checked • All Boys • Girls in whom color vision is suspect • Children with a family history of color blindness (particularly
