Dr.Gaurav Patil, P14756
Aim: To assess the necessity for the pediatric eye screening. Method: 72432 children from schools in Pune, Maharashtra were screened from June 2015 to April 2017. Children with visual acuity of ≤6/12 or ocular problems were referred to hospital for further management. Results: 4.2% were diagnosed with ocular problems. 29.1% had previous history. 70.9% were undiagnosed. Among the undiagnosed, 46.1% had refractive errors and 30.1% had other ocular diseases [Amblyopia:25.3%, Strabismus:26.3%, Cataract:3.6%, Corneal problems:5.1%, Infections:15.9%, Retinal problems:5.3%, Convergence insufficiency:1.5%, Keratoconus:0.3%, Others:16.7%]. 23.9% failed to follow up. Myopia was the commonest refractive error found in 58.2%, Astigmatism was detected in 31.5% and Hyperopia in 10.3%.Conclusion: Undiagnosed refractive errors were the major cause of visual impairment in children. It is evident from the data that school eye screening programmes should be made mandatory even in the urban population.
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