Purpose: We examined the effectiveness of intervention by orthoptists (ORTS) to 3-year-old infant health examination at Yanai Health Center and Shuto General Hospital to detect visual abnormalities.
Case and methods: Forty-eight children were enrolled in this study. Their parents had wanted to have the children examined by ORTS in the 3-year-old infants health examination in Yanai Health Center or in the Department of Pedeiatrics of Shuto General Hospital from July 2009 to February 2010. At the Yanai Health Center we questioned their parents about the results of their children's visual acuity test at home and other ophthalmological abnormalities. After questioning, we re-examined the visual acuity of the children who did not have enough visual acuity of 10/20 at home with the 2.5 meters visual acuity test. On the other hands, at Shuto General Hospital, we conducted the 2.5 meters visual acuity test with the test of refractive error, ocular alignment and binocular vision. After these ophthalmic examinations, we questioned the parents abour the efficacy of intervention by ORTS in the health examination.
Results: Eight children (16.6%) needed closer ophthalmic examinations. Three children with hyperopias, and one with anisometropic amblyopia were found. The parents recognized the importance of intervention by ORTS in the ophthalmic screen test. The questionnaire survey revealed that almost half of the parents were afraid of there visual acuity test by themselves at home.
Conclusion: We concluded that we find out critical ophthalmic disorder such as refract error which lead to amblyopia by the intervention of ORTS or ophthalmologists in the health screening in Yanai, Yamaguti.