INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to investigate secular trends in the prevalence of myopia over 6 decades (from the 1920s to 1980s) in Chinese adults in Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSParental myopia prevalence was estimated using a parent-completed questionnaire in paediatric cohorts that included: 1) The Singapore Cohort Of Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM), 2) The Strabismus, Amblyopia and Refractive Error in Singaporean Children (STARS), and 3) The Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO). Published estimates for myopia prevalence from 5 adult studies in Singapore were reviewed. Secular trends in the prevalence of myopia were correlated with changes in the education system.

RESULTSThe prevalence of parental myopia in SCORM (n = 2943), STARS (n = 4938), and GUSTO (n = 1072) was 47.8%, 53.4%, and 73.4%, respectively; corresponding calendar years these parents might have started schooling were 1966, 1973, and 1983 (born in 1960, 1967, and 1977), respectively. Mean age of parents was 41.3, 40.1, and 33.4 years, respectively. Prevalence of myopia in adult studies in persons who started elementary school in 1928, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1948, 1952, 1958, 1962, 1972, 1982, and 1995 were 36.4%, 39.7%, 30.0%, 31.5%, 33.0%, 26.4%, 32.5%, 48.7%, 39.4%, 52.0%, 82.2%, and 85.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONDuring the past few decades, the prevalence of myopia increased rapidly, especially in persons who started elementary school after the 1980s (born after 1970). The education system was expanded after Singapore's independence in 1965, and the new education system was introduced in 1978. These changes, together with increasing intensive schooling, may have contributed to the increase in myopia prevalence.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the risk factors associated with Type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and compared ophthalmologic outcomes between cases with Type 1 ROP who received treatment and gestational age-matched controls with mild or no ROP not requiring treatment. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study of VLBW infants born in National University Hospital, Singapore, from January 2001 to December 2013. 17 cases with Type 1 ROP were each matched for gestational age with controls who had either mild (below Stage 2) or no ROP. Antenatal, perinatal and postnatal variables, as well as childhood ophthalmologic outcomes, were collected from their clinical records and analysed. RESULTS: The number of packed cell transfusions and highest fraction of inspired oxygen given at weeks 7-10 were found to be statistically significant on multivariate analysis (p = 0.045 and p = 0.049, respectively). None of the infants had blindness or retinal detachment, and there were no significant differences in refractive errors between the groups at 1-4 years of age. Strabismus at four years of age was more common in the group with Type 1 ROP (p = 0.023). CONCLUSION Increased episodes of blood transfusions and chronic lung disease requiring high oxygen supplementation at 7-10 weeks of life are significant risk factors associated with Type 1 ROP in VLBW infants in our study. Strabismus at four years is more common in this group of patients. This study highlights the importance of long-term ophthalmologic surveillance for these high-risk children.