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Study: Screening amblyopic children before 2 years of age associated with better visual results
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Among preschool-aged children, early photoscreening for amblyopia may yield better visual outcomes than later photoscreening, according to an analysis using the Alaska Blind Child Discovery database, published in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Robert W. Arnold, MD, and colleagues at Ophthalmic Associates in Anchorage, Alaska, evaluated screening photographs obtained from a total of 21,367 children. Of these children, 411 screened positive for amblyopia before 4 years of age, and 94 were followed for at least 2 years to determine treatment success.
After treatment, 36 children who were photoscreened before 2 years of age had a mean visual acuity of 0.17 logMAR, while 58 children screened between 2 and 4 years of age had a significantly worse mean visual acuity that averaged 0.26 logMAR, the authors reported.
Despite similar levels of amblyogenic risk factors, the proportion of children who failed to reach a visual acuity of 20/40 was significantly less among those screened before 2 years of age (5%) than those screened between 2 years and 4 years of age (17%), according to the study.