Refractive errors in children

Optical correction of refractive errors in infants and young children is indicated when the refractive errors are sufficiently large to cause unilateral or bilateral amblyopia, if they are impairing the child's ability to function normally, or if the child has accommodative strabismus. Screening for refractive errors is important and should be performed as part of the annual physical examination in all verbal children. Screening for significant refractive errors in preverbal children is more difficult; however, the red reflex test of Bruckner is useful for the detection of anisometropic refractive errors. The photorefraction test, which is an adaptation of Bruckner's red reflex test, may prove to be a useful screening device for detecting bilateral as well as unilateral refractive errors. Objective testing as well as subjective testing enables ophthalmologists to prescribe proper optical correction for refractive errors for infants and children of any age.