Visual and ocular findings in children adopted from eastern Europe.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate ophthalmological findings in children adopted from eastern Europe.


METHODS
A prospective study on 72/99 children, born 1990-5 and adopted from eastern Europe to western Sweden during 1993-7 was performed. The children (41 boys; mean age 7.5 years) were compared with an age and sex matched reference group ("ref") of Swedish children.


RESULTS
78% of the adopted children had abnormal ocular findings. 26% (ref 4%) had visual acuity (VA) of the better eye < or = 0.5 (> or = 0.3 logMAR) (p = 0.0001) and 8% (ref 0%) were visually impaired (p = 0.01). Amblyopia was found in 15% (ref 2%) (p = 0.005). 22% (ref 10%) were hyperopic (> or = 2.0 D SE) (NS) and 10% (ref 1%) were myopic (> or = 0.5 D SE) (p = 0.03). Astigmatism (> or = 0.75 D) was found in 51% (ref 23%) (p = 0.004). 32% (ref 2%) had strabismus (p<0.0001), mostly esotropia. Four cases had bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, in three of whom a history of suspected prenatal alcohol exposure was documented. One child had congenital glaucoma. Signs of visuoperceptual problems were recorded in 37% (ref 1%) (p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, children adopted from eastern Europe had a high frequency of ophthalmological findings. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that an ophthalmological examination be performed in these children after arrival in their new home country.
Grönlund
M A
MA
Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sweden. marita.gronlund@oft.gu.se
Aring
E
E
Hellström
A
A
Landgren
M
M
Strömland
K
K
D000300:Adoption; D002648:Child; D003867:Depth Perception; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D013285:Strabismus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014792:Visual Acuity