11. • 1.4M children blind
• 1M in Asia
• Prevalence in 0-15 years: 0.3-1.5/1000
• Number of blind children low, but a
lifetime ahead
• 75 million blind years (number blind x
length of life)
• 600-6000/10M population
• 40% preventable or treatable
http://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO) & International
Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), 1999
13. Causes of Avoidable Childhood Blindness
• Corneal Scarring
• Cataract
• Glaucoma
• Retinopathy of Prematurity
• Refractive errors
• Low Vision from untreatable causes
http://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO) & International
Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), 1999
14. Uniform guidelines for reporting:
Amblyogenic factors detected by
Preschool Vision Screening
• Anisometropia (sph or cyl) >1.5D
• Any manifest strabismus
• Hyperopia >3.5D in any meridian
• Myopia > 3.0D in any meridian
• Any media opacity >1mm size
• Astigmatism
– >1.5D at 90, 180
- >1.0 D at oblique axis (>10deg of 90, 180)
• Ptosis </= 1 mm MRD
• VA per age appropriate standards
Donahue et al, Preschool vision screening: what should we be detecting and
how should we report it? Uniform guidelines for reporting results of
preschool vision screening studies. J AAPOS. 2003 Oct;7(5):314-6
•Refractive Error
•Strabismus
•Media Opacity
•Ptosis
•Poor vision from other reasons
15. AAPOS Amblyopia Risk Detected by
Automated Preschool Screening
Refractive Risk Factor Targets
Age, Months Astigmatism Hyperopia Anisometropia Myopia
12-30 > 2.0 D > 4.5 D >2.5 D >- 3.5 D
31-48 > 2.0 D > 4.0 D > 2.0 D > -3.0 D
>48 >1.5 D > 3.5 D > 1.5 D > -1.5 D
Non Refractive Risk Factors
All ages manifest strabismus > 8PD in primary position
Media opacity > 1 mm
Donahue SP, et al. AAPOS Vision Screening Committee. Guidelines for automated preschool vision screening: a 10-year,
evidence-based update. J AAPOS. 2013; 17:4–8. [PubMed: 23360915]
16. Target Diseases for
Vision Screening
• Refractive errors 22.8%
• Amblyopia 0.74-6%
• Eye misalignment 2.5-3.55%
• Media opacities < 1%
1. Xiao et al. Elflein HM et al. Prevalence of amblyopia in school-
aged children and variations by age, gender, and ethinicity in a
multi-country refractive error study. Ophthalmology 2015; 122:
1924-31.
2. McKean-Cowdin R, eta al. Prevalence of amblyopia in Asian and
noHispanic white preschool children: multiethnic pediatric eye
disease study. Ophthalmology 2013; 120: 2117-24.
3. Arnold RW. Amblyopia risk factor prevalence. J Pediatr
Ophthalmol Strabismus 2013; 50: 213-7.
4. Elflein HM et al. The prevalence of amblyopia in Germany: data
from the prospective population based Gutenberg Health Study.
Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015; 112: 338-44.
5. Hashemi H, et al. The prevalence of amblyopia in 7-year old
school children in Iran. Strabismus. 2014; 22: 152-157.
6. Kerr NC, Arnold RWl. Vision Screening for children: current
trends, technology and legislative issues. Curr Opin Ophthalmol
2004; 15: 454-9.
7. Snowden SK, Stewart-Brown SL. Preschool vision screen. Health
Technol Assess. 1997; 1: 1-4.
62. • Participation of local eye health care experts
and planners in Vision 2020
• Vision 2020 Committees
– Assess local needs
– Develop national action plan
– Facilitate implementation
– Monitoring and assessment
• Society made aware of known, well-tested,
cost-effective intervention
• Prevent avoidable visual loss
http://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO) & International
Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), 1999
63. Timing of Screening
• Age 4-5 at school entry
• Cost efficient, most beneficial
• Clinically effective
• Younger more False Positives
• Child more cooperative
• Older poorer outcome
1. Tailor V et al. Childhood amblyopia: current
management and new treads. Br Med J 2016;
119: 75-86.
2. Solebo AL, Cumberland PM, Rahi JS. Whole
population vision screening in children aged 4-
5 years to detect amblyopia. Lancet 2015; 385:
2308-19.
80. Seeing the world through
the eyes of a child,
Is the purest joy that
anyone can experience.
-Constance Zimmer
https://expertbeacon.com/sites/default/files/how_e
arly_and_often_children_should_have_a_comprehen
sive_eye_exam.jpg