Randot stereoacuity norms in a population of Saudi Arabian children

BACKGROUND: The onset and development of stereoacuity in children have been investigated by several authors. In addition to the study of those aspects of stereopsis, it is also important to collect normative data, which can be applied in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to establish Randot stereoacuity norms using a Saudi Arabian children population. METHOD: The Randot stereo test was used to measure stereoacuity for 791 male primary school children (aged six to 12 years) with normal vision. A battery of tests was used to establish that each child had normal eyes and vision prior to the stereoacuity measurement. RESULTS: The range of stereoacuities for all the age groups at 40 cm was 70 to 20 seconds of arc, except for the nine-year-old children in whom the range was 50 to 20 seconds of arc. More than one half (57.5 per cent) of the children achieved 29 seconds of arc. The mean stereoacuity for all of the children was 25.32 seconds of arc with a standard deviation of 9.93 seconds of arc. The mean stereoacuity for the children decreased from 29.11 seconds of arc at six years to 23.61 seconds of arc at 11 years. An inter-subject variation in stereoacuity development was observed. CONCLUSION: This paper provides normative data for Randot stereoacuity for children. The range and mean values presented here will be useful as reference data for clinical diagnosis of normalcy or otherwise of stereoacuity in children of similar ages when the Randot stereo test is used.