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Ocular biometric parameters in Chinese preschool children and physiological axial length growth prediction using
Duanke Liu1,2,3,4,5,6, Heng Zhao1,2,3,4,5, Tao Tang1,2,3,4,5
1Department of Ophthalmology & Clinical Centre of Optometry, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Insights
Chinese preschool children aged 4-6 primarily show mild hyperopia. Physiological axial length (AL) growth slows with age and reduced hyperopia, offering insights into ocular development.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Ocular Biometrics
Background:
- Refractive status in preschool children is crucial for visual development.
- Understanding ocular biometric parameters aids in predicting refractive errors.
- Axial length (AL) is a key indicator of ocular growth and refractive status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ocular biometric parameters in Chinese preschool children.
- To predict the annual growth rate of physiological axial length (AL).
- To analyze factors influencing AL growth in young children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cross-sectional study of 1090 children aged 4-6 years.
- Cycloplegic autorefraction used for diopter values.
- Gaussian process regression and backward difference methods applied for AL prediction and growth rate calculation.
Main Results:
- 85.4% of children exhibited hyperopic refractive status; only 2.7% had myopia.
- Boys had longer AL, larger AL-to-corneal radius ratio, deeper anterior chamber, and lower lens power.
- Physiological axial growth ranged from 0.050-0.168 mm/year, decreasing with age and reduced hyperopia.
Conclusions:
- Preschool children's refractive development is characterized by mild hyperopia.
- Physiological AL provides significant insights into ocular development patterns.
- Age and refractive error influence the rate of physiological AL growth.
Objectives:
To examine the ocular biometric parameters and predict the annual growth rate of the physiological axial length (AL) in Chinese preschool children aged 4-6 years old.
Methods:
This retrospective cross-sectional study included 1090 kindergarten students (1090 right eyes) between the ages of 4 and 6 years from Pinggu and Chaoyang District, Beijing. Dioptre values were ascertained following cycloplegic autorefraction. Predicted AL was obtained through the application of the Gaussian process regression model as an optimisation technique. Subsequently, the annual growth rate of physiological AL for non-myopic preschool children (n=1061) was computed via the backward difference method.
Results:
In total, 85.4% of preschool children (931 individuals) had hyperopic refractive status in the 4-6 years age group, while only 2.7% (29 individuals) showed myopia. Boys had longer AL, larger AL-to-corneal radius ratio, deeper anterior chamber depth and lower lens power. The average physiological axial growth for boys and girls ranged from 0.050 mm/year to 0.165 mm/year and 0.063 mm/year to 0.168 mm/year, respectively. As age increased, the physiological AL growth in non-myopic cases decreased. Additionally, as hyperopic spherical equivalent refraction error lessened, the physiological AL growth component slowed down.
Conclusions:
In preschool children, refractive development predominantly exhibits mild hyperopia. The concept of physiological AL provides valuable insights into the complexities of ocular development.
