title: Eye problems in children with hearing impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of refractive errors, amblyopia, and strabismus between hearing-impaired and normal children (7-22 years old) in Mashhad.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, cases were selected from hearing-impaired children in Mashhad. The control group consisted of children with no hearing problem. The sampling was done utilizing the cluster sampling method. All of the samples underwent refraction, cover test, and visual examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  254 children in the hearing-impaired group (case) and 506 children in the control group were assessed. The mean spherical equivalent was 1.7 ± 1.9 D in the case group, which was significantly different from the control group (0.2 ± 1.5) (P < 0.001). The prevalence of hyperopia was 57.15% and 21.5% in deaf and normal children, respectively, but myopia was mostly seen in the control group (5.5% versus 11.9%, P = 0.007). The mean cylinder was 0.65 ± 1.3 D and 0.43 ± 0.62 D in deaf and normal subjects, respectively (P = 0.002). 12.2% of deaf subjects and 1.2% of normal subjects were amblyopic (P < 0.001), and the prevalence of strabismus was 3.1% in the case group and 2.6% in the control group (P = 0.645).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a comparison of children of the same ages, hearing-impaired children have significantly more eye problems; therefore, a possible relation between deafness and eye problems must exist. Paying attention to eye health assessment in hearing-impaired children may help prevent adding eye problems to hearing difficulties.
authors.affiliation: Refractive Errors Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Optometry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ostadimoghaddam
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hanieh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirhajian
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Noor Research Center for Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: AbbasAli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yekta
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Davood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sobhani Rad
authors.affiliation: Refractive Errors Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Optometry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heravian
authors.affiliation: Noor Research Center for Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malekifar
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khabazkhoob
keywords: Amblyopia; Deafness; Hyperopia; Myopia; Ocular disorders