A Study Of Ocular Disorders In School Going Children.

ABSTRACT

Background: Ocular disorders are often neglected in children. At the school going age. They find difficulties in their day to day activities. Refractive Error affects a large proportion of school going children. This can be easily diagnosed and corrected with spectacles. If not corrected, they become a major cause of low vision or even blindness. In India, children younger than 15 years constitute about 42% of the population and out of it 30% lose their eyesight partially due to amblyopia before the age of 20 years. So we have selected this study. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study. The study was conducted in Dhiraj Hospital & Eye camps for school children during November 2014 to October 2015. We have examined 350 children. We have used snellen’s distant vision chart, torch light, direct ophthalmoscope and ishihara’s colour vision chart in the camps. We referred children who needed detailed examination to Dhiraj hospital where we did cycloplegic refraction. They were examined with auto refractometer , direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy and they were called for Post mydriatic test and also for follow up of other ocular disorders. Results: Our study was conducted in schools of Vadodra district and in Eye Opd of Dhiraj Genral hospital attached with SBKS MIRC pipariya , dist. Vadodara in Gujarat state. We have examined 350 children and done their complete follow up. We found refractive error in 130 (37.14%) in children. Amongst them Refractive error -130 and other disorders like Lacrimal sac disorder – 6, Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) – 9, Conjunctivitis- 12 , amblyopia -3 ,squint -1, Others (Normal)- 189. P value was significant in case of refractive error. Conclusion: Ocular disorders in school going children vary from place to place, mal nutrition, lack of attendance from parents & teachers on their complains of eye disorders, in some areas where treatment facility in private or government set up is not available so their problems are neglected. Climate condition also play significant role. The present study indicates that the school age is a high risk group for developing refractive errors. Most of the children were unaware of their problem. Thus prevalence of undetected refractive error was more. Allergic conjunctivitis was another issue of concern. More studies, resources and manpower are needed to detect uncorrected refractive error and achieve the goal of vision 2020.