Inherited retinal diseases (also called inherited retinal dystrophies, or IRDs) are a group of rare eye disorders caused by an inherited gene mutation and can result in vision loss or blindness. Inherited disorders of the retina are one of the leading causes of childhood blindness and, for the most part, there are no effective treatments. Loss of vision in these conditions is caused by the gradual loss of function and eventual death of the light-sensitive cells in the retina.