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Updated: Aug 4, 2026
07:06
Binocular Dynamic Visual Acuity in Eyeglass-Corrected Myopic Patients
Published on: March 29, 2022
Cycloplegic refractions in healthy children aged 1 through 48 months
D L Mayer1, R M Hansen, B D Moore
1Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|November 16, 2001
Summary
Refractive error in children shows significant changes with age, with hyperopia and its variability decreasing as they grow. This study describes these refractive error trends in healthy infants and toddlers.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Vision Science
Background:
- Refractive errors are common in children and can impact visual development.
- Understanding refractive error progression is crucial for early detection and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe refractive errors in healthy children aged 1-48 months.
- To test if spherical equivalent (SE) becomes less hyperopic and less variable with age.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, cross-sectional study of 514 healthy, term-born children.
- Cycloplegic retinoscopy used to measure refractive error in both eyes.
- Analysis of SE and astigmatism as a function of age.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in SE between right and left eyes.
- Hyperopia and SE variability significantly decreased with age.
- Astigmatism was most common in infancy, decreasing with age; myopia and anisometropia were rare.
Conclusions:
- Declines in hyperopia and SE variability are key features of emmetropization.
- Established prediction limits offer a reference for individual patient data comparison.
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