Visual Acuity and Refractive Errors in Toddlers

Abstract

Purpose: Uncorrected refractive error is the leading cause of visual impairment in children worldwide, especially in this digital era. The purpose of this study was to examine toddlers' visual acuity (VA) and refractive errors in several playgroups and kindergartens in Makassar and Gowa, Indonesia. Methods: The subjects of this study were 245 playgroup and kindergarten students. An ophthalmologist and an experienced optometrist examined visual acuity and refractive errors of the subjects using Kay Picture test linear crowded book and a Retinoscope, respectively. The data were analyzed using the One-Way ANOVA test and the Chi-square test. Results: Thirty-four children out of 245 (13.87%) had decreased visual acuity. One subject had myopia (2.9%), 21 had simple myopic astigmatism (61.8%), seven had compound myopic astigmatism (20.6%), three had compound hyperopic astigmatism (8.8%), and two subjects had mixed astigmatism (5.9%).Males had higher prevalence of decreased visual acuity as compared to females. There was no significant difference in visual acuity of different age and gender (p=0.437; p=0.312). Conclusion: The prevalence of reduced visual acuity in children aged two to six years was 13.87%. The most frequently encountered refractive error was simple myopic astigmatism, accounting for 61.8% of cases.