Preschool Vision Screening for 3 to 6-Year Old Children in Seoul

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To prevent permanent visual disturbance, we performed a mass screening for the detection of ocular disorders of preschool children. METHODS: Ocular examination was performed on 33,955 children in Seou(3~6 years of age)l, during the period from January to December, 2000. 435 children were shown to have either visual acuity of less than 0.5 or anisometropia of over 2 lines. Detailed Eye examination. was conducted on those 435 children. RESULTS: Diagnoses consisted of refractive errors in 325(74.7%), amblyopia in 91(20.9%), strabismus 21(4.8%) and anterior segment abnormalities in 34(7.8%). Among th types of refractive errors, hyperopic astigmatism 98(30.4%) was the most common type. Astigmatism was combined with all other types in 257(79.9%) children. In cases of strabismus, exotropia was 12(57.1%) and esotropia was 4(19.0%). Refractive error was the most common cause of amblyopia(88(96.7%)). CONCLUSIONS: To prevent and treat amblyopia or strabismus, easily detection and adequate care at preschool age seemed to be very effective. Participation rate for this mass-screening of eye disease during preschool age will be more increased by efforts of constitutional support and parental coperation.