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Amblyopia screening in children in Bandar Abbas (Iran) during 2011-2012
Ali Safari Moradabadi1, Amin Ghanbarnejad2, Ali Bani-Hashemi3
1M.Sc. Student of Health Education, Student Research Committee, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Insights
Childhood amblyopia screening identified a prevalence of 0.96% to 1.01%. Early diagnosis is crucial to prevent irreversible vision loss and blindness in children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Vision Care
Background:
- Amblyopia, a vision defect from abnormal childhood visual experience, requires early detection to prevent permanent effects.
- Childhood visual development is critical, making timely diagnosis of amblyopia essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the outcomes of amblyopia screening programs in preschool children.
- To determine the prevalence of amblyopia in a specific pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from an amblyopia screening program (2011-2012) in Bandar Abbas.
- Referral of suspected cases to optometry and ophthalmology specialists for diagnosis.
- Statistical analysis using SPSS version 16 with a significance level of P < 0.05.
Main Results:
- In 2012, 16,599 children were screened, with 1.01% diagnosed with amblyopia.
- In 2011, 17,733 children were screened, with a final diagnosis of amblyopia in 171 cases (0.96% prevalence).
- A significant number of suspected cases required referral for specialist examination.
Conclusions:
- The study found amblyopia prevalence rates of 0.96% (2011) and 1.01% (2012), consistent with international findings.
- Emphasizes the critical need for timely amblyopia diagnosis in preschool children to prevent future low vision or blindness.
- Recommends enhancing the quality of screening examinations conducted by healthcare professionals.
Background:
Amblyopia is an acquired defect of vision caused by abnormal visual experience that occurs during childhood. Since early diagnosis is important in preventing further irreparable effects, the aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of amblyopia screening in children.
Methods:
Data from the amblyopia screening program in the Welfare Department of Bandar Abbas during 2011-2012 were used. Suspected cases were referred to specialists in the Optometry clinic for screening purposes. Subsequently, patients who suffered from strabismus, amblyopia, or refractive errors were referred to ophthalmologists. SPSS version16 was used to analyze the data. The significance level was set at P < 0.05.
Results:
Of the 16,599 children examined in 2012, 2486 suspected cases of amblyopia were diagnosed and 168 being diagnosed with amblyopia after visit with ophthalmologist. The prevalence rate of amblyopia was 1.01%. In 2011, of 17,733 cases, 2013 children were diagnosed as suspected cases and 171 patients were diagnosed to be amblyopic finally.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of amblyopia in this study was 0.96% and 1.01% in years 2011 and 2012 respectively, which was consistent with the results of studies in other countries. By considering the importance of diagnosing the prevalence of amblyopia on time in preschool and in order to prevent children`s low vision or blindness in future, it is essential to increase the quality of the examinations that are conducted by the trainers.
