Changes in refractive characteristics in Japanese children with Down syndrome

To investigate the refractive characteristics of Japanese children with Down syndrome.

Retrospective study.

The clinical records of refractive errors and ocular manifestations in children with Down syndrome who visited the Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center between November 2001 and January 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The children were divided into the 3 following groups depending on their age: group 1 (≤ 6 years), group 2 (7-12 years), and group 3 (13-19 years). The collection of refractive error data was performed only for the right eyes and only once for each child, when the children were last examined with their pupils dilated.

The study included 416 children (224 boys, 192 girls; average age, 6.1 ± 4.1 years). Group 3 had significantly stronger myopia than did groups 1 and 2. The mean cylindrical power in all the children was - 2.1 ± 1.2 diopters (D), and cylindrical power ≤ - 1.0 D (stronger than - 1.0 D) was seen in 366 eyes (88%). No significant difference in cylindrical power was found among the 3 groups.

The spherical equivalent refraction showed an age-dependent myopic shift. Given that the amount of astigmatism did not show age-dependent differences, the age-dependent myopic shift could be due mainly to the change in spherical power.