Which statement is NOT true regarding congenital nystagmus?

• A. Ocular albinism is commonly associated
• B. It is present at birth or before age 6
• C. It may present in a jerk or pendular form
• D. It affects females more than males

Answer: (D)

Congenital nystagmus is an eye movement disorder that is present at birth or appears in early infancy, often within the first months of life. It can be seen in two main waveform forms: jerk, where slow eye movement is followed by a rapid corrective saccade, and pendular, where smooth, back-and-forth eye movement occurs without distinct quick phases. A common association is ocular albinism, which helps explain why nystagmus is seen with early visual impairment. The important point about the sex distribution is that there is no consistent female predominance; congenital nystagmus affects males and females roughly equally, and certain genetic forms (like X-linked conditions) can even be more prominent in males. Therefore, the statement claiming that it affects females more than males is not true.