title: Screening for refractive errors at age 1 year: a pilot study.
abstract: Cycloplegic refraction of 1-year-old children is technically possible and is acceptable to mothers as a method for screening children for visual defects. The range of refractions found in a sample of 186 1-year-old children is reported. Prediction of which children are significantly at risk for squint and/or amblyopia is possible on the basis of refractions at age 1 year according to the criteria selected for an 'abnormal' refraction. Bilateral hypermetropia and/or astigmatism or anisometropia at age 1 year was significantly (P less than 1 in 10 000) associated with a child eventually being found to have squint or amblyopia. Both the age of screening and criteria of abnormality will probably need modification. +2.50 or more D hypermetropia in any one meridian of either eye at age 1 year was even more significantly (P = 0.000 000 05%) associated with squint and/or amblyopia. The possibility that meridional hypermetropia could be the basic defect in squint and amblyopia is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000550:Amblyopia / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009184:Mydriatics; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013285:Strabismus / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D009184:Mydriatics