PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Fan, D S P
AU  - Rao, S K
AU  - Cheung, E Y Y
AU  - Islam, M
AU  - Chew, S
AU  - Lam, D S C
TI  - Astigmatism in Chinese preschool children: prevalence, change, and effect on refractive development
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.2003.030338
DP  - 2004 Jul 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 938--941
VI  - 88
IP  - 7
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/88/7/938.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/88/7/938.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2004 Jul 01; 88
AB  - Aim: To study the prevalence, type, and progression of astigmatism in Chinese preschool children, and its effect on refractive development. Methods: A cross sectional study of preschool children was carried out in two randomly selected kindergartens. A cohort study was performed on a subset of children, five years after initial examination. Refractive error (measured by cycloplegic autorefraction) and axial ocular dimensions (measured by ultrasonography) were the main study outcomes. Results: 522 children participated in the study; the mean age was 55.7 months (SD 10.9; range 27 to 77). Mean cylinder reading was −0.65 D (SD 0.58; range 0.00 to −4.75), and with the rule astigmatism was predominant (53%). In the 108 children studied longitudinally, the mean cylinder reading reduced from −0.62 D to −0.50 D (p = 0.019). The presence of astigmatism in initial examination predisposed the eyes towards greater myopisation (p<0.001). In addition, children with increased astigmatism had greater myopic progression (p<0.001) and axial length growth (p = 0.002). Conclusions: This study reports a high prevalence of astigmatism in Chinese preschool children. The presence of astigmatism, and particularly with increasing astigmatism, appears to predispose the children to progressive myopia. Further studies are warranted.