Association between body stature with ocular biometrics and refraction among Chinese preschoolers
Linling Li1, Chimei Liao2, Xiaojuan Zhang1
1Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, No. 2004, Hongli Road, Futian district, 510060, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Taller and heavier preschoolers have longer eyes, deeper eye chambers, and flatter corneas. Body growth significantly influences eyeball development in young children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Body stature is a key indicator of overall growth and development.
- Understanding the relationship between physical growth and ocular development is crucial for early detection of potential vision issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between body stature (height and weight) and ocular biometric parameters in preschool children.
- To determine if body stature correlates with refractive error in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 373 preschoolers aged 3-6 years in Shenzhen, China.
- Ocular biometrics (axial length, anterior chamber depth, vitreous chamber depth, corneal radius, lens thickness) measured via laser interferometry.
- Cycloplegic refraction and body measurements (height, weight) were also recorded and analyzed using regression models.
Main Results:
- Taller and heavier children exhibited longer axial lengths, deeper vitreous chambers, and flatter corneal radii.
- Lens thickness showed a negative association with height and weight.
- No significant association was found between body stature and refractive error or central cornea thickness.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers with greater body stature have distinct ocular biometric profiles, indicating a link between physical growth and eye development.
- Body development significantly influences eyeball growth patterns in early childhood.
- Stature does not appear to be a predictor of refractive error in this preschool population.
Purpose:
To evaluate the association of body stature with ocular biometrics and refraction in preschool children.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, school-based study was conducted in Shenzhen, China. Preschool children aged 3 to 6 from 10 randomly-selected kindergartens were recruited. Ocular biometric parameters, including axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), corneal radius curvature (CR), axial length to corneal radius ratio (AL-to-CR ratio) and lens thickness (LT) were measured using non-contact partial-coherence laser interferometry. Cycloplegic refractions were obtained by a desktop autorefractor. Body height and weight were measured using standard procedures. The association between body stature and ocular biometrics were analyzed with univariable and multivariable regression model.
Results:
A total of 373 preschoolers were included. AL, ACD, VCD, CR, and AL-to-CR ratio, were positively associated with height and weight (p < 0.05), whereas LT was negatively associated with height and weight (p < 0.01). No association was observed between stature and central cornea thickness and refraction. After adjusted for age and gender in a multivariable regression model, AL had positive associations with height (p < 0.01) and weight (p < 0.01). However, refraction had no significant association with stature parameters.
Conclusion:
Taller and heavier preschoolers had eyes with longer AL, deeper vitreous chamber, and flatter cornea. The significant associations between body stature and ocular biometric parameters reveal the driving influence of body development on the growth of eyeballs in preschoolers.
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