Ophthalmic abnormalities in children with developmental coordination disorder

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects motor skill acquisition.
• Ophthalmic abnormalities can impact a child's development and learning.
• Understanding the co-occurrence of DCD and vision issues is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between DCD and various ophthalmic abnormalities in 7- to 8-year-old children.
• To identify specific visual deficits associated with DCD.
• To inform clinical practice regarding the screening of children with DCD.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of UK ALSPAC birth cohort data.
• DCD diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria, excluding neurological issues or low IQ.
• Ophthalmic assessments included visual acuity, refraction, and binocular function tests.

Main Results:

• 1.8% of 7154 children had severe DCD; 215 had moderate DCD.
• Severe DCD associated with abnormal sensory and motor fusion, reduced stereoacuity, hypermetropia, and anisometropia.
• Most children with DCD and refractive errors were already prescribed glasses.

Conclusions:

• Children with severe DCD exhibit significant binocular vision, refractive, and ocular alignment abnormalities.
• Routine ophthalmic assessment for children diagnosed with DCD is recommended.
• Further research is needed to understand the impact of untreated ocular issues on DCD diagnosis.