Abstract
Undetected refractive errors (REs) in children can lead to irreversible vision loss. This study aimed to show the proportions of REs in French children using cycloplegic refraction. Multicentre cross-sectional retrospective study including children with cycloplegic refraction and without associated ocular conditions from 2015 to 2018 in French eye clinics. The following data were collected: age, symptoms of eye strain, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), cycloplegic refraction. The analysis included 48,163 children (mean age: 7.75 years, range: 2 to 12 years). The proportion of each RE was as follows: emmetropia (− 0.50 < Spherical Equivalent (SE) ≤ + 2.0; 58.3%), hyperopia (+ 2.0 < SE le+5; 17.2%), myopia (− 6 le SE le− 0.50; 15.5%), high myopia (SE < − 6; 0.5%), high hyperopia (SE > + 5; 3.6%), mixed astigmatism (4.9%). Anisometropia (SE difference ≥ 1.5) was found in 5.0%. Functional amblyopia in children attending primary school (aged over 6 years) was encountered in 2.7%. Symptoms of eye strain were frequent (70%) but not specific to any RE. REs are frequently found in French children and may remain undetected in the absence of symptoms of eye strain. Few studies have investigated REs in children using cycloplegic refraction, which has been shown to be the gold standard for RE assessment.
Highlights
Undetected refractive errors (REs) in children can lead to irreversible vision loss
This study aimed to show the proportions of REs in French children using cycloplegic refraction
The number of children with hyperopia decreased with age, while those with myopia increased (Figs. 2 and 3)
Summary
Undetected refractive errors (REs) in children can lead to irreversible vision loss. This study aimed to show the proportions of REs in French children using cycloplegic refraction. A review of 23 articles on REs in the Middle East concerning children under 15 years of age reported the following prevalence for each RE: myopia: 4% (spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ − 0.5 dioptres D); hyperopia: 8% (without cycloplegia, SE ≥ + 2.0 D), astigmatism: 15% (cylinder ≥ 0.75 D)[3]. In reality, this prevalence is inconsistent across countries owing to variable access to care, ethnic origin (i.e. higher prevalence of myopia in Asiatic children4–6), and environmental factors (i.e. higher prevalence of myopia in subjects with low outdoor/indoor activity ratios[7] and in urban areas[8,9]). The secondary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of amblyopia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
