Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Schools ; Students/statistics & numerical data* ; Vision Screening/methods* ; Visual Acuity

INTRODUCTIONThe visual status of children with learning disabilities has not been extensively studied. This study aimed to compare vision disorders between children in mainstream classes and those with learning disabilities attending special education classes in government primary schools in Malaysia.

METHODSIn this cross-sectional comparative study, 60 school children (30 from mainstream classes and 30 from special education classes) who were matched in age (6-12 years old) and ethnicity (Malay, Chinese and Indian) were examined. The subjects were recruited using non-probability convenience sampling. A complete eye examination was performed to detect three major vision disorders, namely refractive error, lag of accommodation and convergence insufficiency.

RESULTSThe overall prevalence of refractive error, lag of accommodation and convergence insufficiency was found to be 65.0%, 43.3% and 35.2%, respectively. Convergence insufficiency (χ² = 24.073, p < 0.001) was found to be associated with children in special education classes. No association was found between refractive error and lag of accommodation (p > 0.05) with the type of classes.

CONCLUSIONChildren in special education classes are more likely to have convergence insufficiency compared to children in mainstream classes. Thus, vision screening programmes for children in special education classes may need to be modified.

Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Special ; Female ; Humans ; Learning Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology ; Mainstreaming (Education) ; Malaysia ; epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Schools ; Vision Disorders ; epidemiology ; Vision Screening ; methods ; Visual Acuity

To evaluate its clinical efficacy, we report the results of Armaly central field screening test in comparison with those of central 30-2 threshold test of Humphrey Field Analyzer. In 83 cases of normotensives, ocular hypertensives, and glaucoma patients with open-angle or narrow-angle enrolled in this study, a total of 143 eyes were examined. Fifty-four out of 61 patients (88.5%) and 73 out of 81 eyes (90.1%) with visual field defects were detected by the Humphrey Field Analyzer screening test. Eight eyes out of 81(9.9%) with visual field defects detected by the screening test were confirmed as false positive. All points of false positive were solitary, which tended to occur more frequently on superior visual field. A false negative of eight eyes out of 62 (12.9%) detected by the screening test was confirmed by the threshold test, which was more frequent on superior field and shown to be located more peripherally from the fixation point. There was no significant difference in either central sensitivity or age of the false positive and negative.
Adult ; Aged ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Glaucoma/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ocular Hypertension/*physiopathology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Vision Screening/*methods ; Visual Field Tests/*methods ; *Visual Fields

We evaluated one of the new non-contact tonometers, the Pulsair non-contact tonometer, to assess its accuracy and reliability. Measurements on 101 eyes were used to assess its accuracy against Goldmann tonometry measurements, and another 24 eyes were used to assess its reliability (reproducibility). The results showed the instrument to be highly accurate and reliable in measurement.
Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Ocular Hypertension/diagnosis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Regression Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tonometry, Ocular/*instrumentation ; Vision Screening/*methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the model and the feasibility of newborn hearing and ocular disease simultaneous screening program and to study the birth prevalence of newborn hearing loss and newborn ocular diseases.

METHODSThe universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) was performed using transient otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) in well baby nursery and by a two-stage TEOAE and auto auditory brainstem response (AABR) protocol in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The UNHS was simultaneous done with newborn ocular disease screening program. The examination technical method was following: the response to light, external inspection of the eyes and lids, pupil examination, red reflex examination, funduscope examination after pupil dilation for referral (for all newborn in NICU). The infants who were referred by two-stage hearing screening and/or had high-risk factors of hearing loss received following-up and routine audiological evaluation and personalized intervention from 6 months to 3 years of age. The cases had positive sign and (or) abnormal results of the ocular disease screening were referred for further examination by pediatric ophthalmologists.

RESULTSA total of 16 800 children born in Jinan Maternal and Child Hospital from October 1, 2002 to April 30, 2005. Of these infants, 15 398 cases (91.7%) had access to the simultaneous screening program for hearing and ocular diseases. The incidence of congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) among infants who did UNHS was 0.312% (48/15 398) in bilateral and 0.227% (35/15 398) in unilateral; Of the 4 cases of congenital SNHL complicated with newborn ocular diseases: 1 profound SNHL (bilateral), auditory neuropathy with congenital cataract (bilateral), 1 mild SNHL (bilateral) with membrana papillaris perseverance (left) and 1 mild SNHL (bilateral) with retina vein dilatation (bilateral), 1 mild SNHL (right) with persistent hyaloid artery (bilateral). In all 15 398 newborns, 15 neonates with congenital cataract were detected (22 eyes, 0.10%). Twenty seven neonates with less than 1500 g birth weight admitted to NICU, retinopathy of prematurity was detected in 3 neonates (6 eyes).

CONCLUSIONHearing loss and ocular diseases was not rare in neonatal and infancy. Newborn hearing and ocular disease simultaneous screening program was not only feasible but also effective in detecting hearing loss and (or) ocular disorders. Early intervention was important for the prevention or treatment of neonatal hearing loss and (or) ocular diseases, such as newborn hearing loss with congenital cataract, retinopathy of prematurity and so on.

Eye Diseases ; congenital ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neonatal Screening ; methods ; Vision Tests

PURPOSE: Bell's phenomenon (BP), which may disturb screening examinations for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), is known to present infrequently in premature babies. Stress associated with the examinations can influence expression of BP. The authors of the present study evaluated BP during examinations for ROP. METHODS: The present study included 102 eyes of 51 premature babies. Expression of BP was assessed at 3 steps of the examination in the following order: after insertion of a speculum, after illumination of an indirect ophthalmoscope and after scleral depression. The relationship between the expression of BP and the gestational age at the examination was analyzed in each step of the examination. RESULTS: The frequency of BP after the speculum insertion and the illumination was 77% to 92% in infants 32 weeks of age or younger, and decreased significantly to 16% to 57% in infants 42 weeks of age or older (p < 0.005). BP after the scleral depression had no significant association with the gestational age. Frequency of BP increased significantly as the steps of the examination proceeded (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BP was frequent in premature infants during ROP examination in spite of neurological immaturity. The examiner should take BP into consideration, which frequently occurs in younger infants.
Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; *Infant, Premature ; Korea/epidemiology ; Mass Screening/adverse effects/*methods/psychology ; Ophthalmoscopy/*psychology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological/*epidemiology/etiology ; Vision Screening/adverse effects/*psychology