DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2021.v09i12.031

Pages: 1949-1953

Background: Refractive errors and amblyopia are among the leading causes of avoidable visual impairment in children. Early detection through screening-based ophthalmic assessment is essential to prevent long-term visual disability, particularly in resource-limited settings. Methods: This clinic-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jahurul Islam Medical College and Hospital, Kishoregonj, Bangladesh, from March 2017 to January 2018. All children below 15 years of age attending the ophthalmology outpatient department during the study period were included. Comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation was performed, including visual acuity assessment using a logMAR ETDRS chart and cycloplegic refraction. The presence of amblyopia and strabismus was documented and refractive errors were categorized according to type and severity. Results: A total of 600 children were evaluated. Hypermetropia was the most prevalent refractive error, affecting 498 children (83.0%). Moderate hypermetropia (3.00–6.00 DS) was the most common subtype (33.0%), followed by mild (30.5%) and high hypermetropia (19.5%). Myopia was observed in 80 children (13.3%), while mixed astigmatism was identified in 22 children (3.6%). Among amblyopic children, compound hypermetropic astigmatism was the predominant refractive error, both in the absence and presence of strabismus. Esotropia was more commonly associated with amblyopia than exotropia. Conclusion: Hypermetropia and compound hypermetropic astigmatism were the most common refractive errors detected and were strongly associated with amblyopia. Screening-based ophthalmic assessment is effective in identifying amblyogenic refractive errors and should be emphasized for early intervention to prevent childhood visual impairment.