DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i06.018

Pages: 2253-2257

Untreated ocular morbidity in schoolchildren is an important condition which can hamper the best intellectual development and academic performance of children. The study was designed to describe the distribution of ocular morbidity due to various causes in a representative sample of urban schoolchildren in Amritsar and to provide free of cost referral and curative intervention at Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Amritsar. The methods in this study complete eye examination including visual acuity, ocular alignment and fundus exam was carried out in all children by a dedicated team of Ophthalmologists. Students with uncorrected refractive errors and other ocular morbidities were followed up at RIO, GMC Amritsar. In this study the results were Among the 500 children examined 300 were boys and 200 were girls in the age group of 5-12 years. 15.2% students were using prescription spectacles. 40 (8%) students had uncorrected refractive errors of which astigmatism was most common. 6 (1.2%) students had amblyopia. 5 had unilateral amblyopia and 1 had bilateral amblyopia. The most frequent causes of amblyopia (4 students) were refractive errors. 4(0.8%) had strabismus. 1student had coloboma of the choroid. 2 students had features (conjunctival xerosis and bitot spots) suggestive of vitamin A deficiency. There was no significant difference in gender distribution of ocular morbidities (p>0.05) in the schoolchildren examined.In conclusion the prevalence of untreated ocular morbidity in the present study was 10.6% (53 students). There was no significant difference in gender distribution. 98.1% of the ocular morbidity was correctable. In view of the above facts, this kind of school screening cum prevention, promotion, and treatment programme with follow-up seems to be appropriate to reduce ocular morbidity in schoolchildren.