WORLD VIEW

Visual and ocular findings in children adopted from eastern Europe

M A Grönlund¹, E Aring¹, A Hellström¹, M Landgren² and K Strömland¹

¹ Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Section of Ophthalmology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
² Department of Pediatrics, Hospital of Skaraborg, Skövde, Sweden

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Marita Andersson Grönlund MD
Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/East, SE 416 85 Göteborg, Sweden; marita.gronlund{at}oft.gu.se

Aims: To evaluate ophthalmological findings in children adopted from eastern Europe.

Methods: A prospective study on 72/99 children, born 1990–5 and adopted from eastern Europe to western Sweden during 1993–7 was performed. The children (41 boys; mean age 7.5 years) were compared with an age and sex matched reference group ("ref") of Swedish children.

Results: 78% of the adopted children had abnormal ocular findings. 26% (ref 4%) had visual acuity (VA) of the better eye 0.5 (0.3 logMAR) (p = 0.0001) and 8% (ref 0%) were visually impaired (p = 0.01). Amblyopia was found in 15% (ref 2%) (p = 0.005). 22% (ref 10%) were hyperopic (2.0 D SE) (NS) and 10% (ref 1%) were myopic (0.5 D SE) (p = 0.03). Astigmatism (0.75 D) was found in 51% (ref 23%) (p = 0.004). 32% (ref 2%) had strabismus (p<0.0001), mostly esotropia. Four cases had bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, in three of whom a history of suspected prenatal alcohol exposure was documented. One child had congenital glaucoma. Signs of visuoperceptual problems were recorded in 37% (ref 1%) (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: In this study, children adopted from eastern Europe had a high frequency of ophthalmological findings. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that an ophthalmological examination be performed in these children after arrival in their new home country.

Abbreviations: FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome; IUAE, intrauterine alcohol exposure; logMAR, log of the minimal angle of resolution; ONH, optic nerve hypoplasia; pD, prism dioptres; SDS, standard deviation scores; SE, spherical equivalent; SGA, small for gestational age

Keywords: visual function; ocular findings; adopted children; Eastern Europe

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