[Prevalence of low visual acuity and ophthalmological disorders in six-year-old children from Santa Fe city].

BACKGROUND

Changes in children visual acuity that are not treated carry a high risk of irreversible consequences.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of low visual acuity and to diagnose the ophthalmologic diseases that cause it in six-year-old children from Santa Fe City, Argentina.

METHODS

Observational, descriptive and transversal design. Visual acuity is defined as the eye's capacity to distinguish separate points and to recognize shapes. It was determined using the Snellen table for farsighted vision on 177 six-year-old children who attended four elementary schools in Santa Fe City. An ophthalmologic examination was performed on those who had low visual acuity and their mothers were interviewed to ascertain the pathological background of their children.

RESULTS

The prevalence of low visual acuity was 10.7% (n= 19). The prevalence of amblyopia was 3.9%. Refraction errors were the only cause of low visual acuity. Astigmatism was predominantly frequent. The most frequent pathological backgrounds were: ocular infections, premature birth, history of malnutrition and maternal use of tobacco.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of low visual acuity found in this study is lower than the one informed in most other studies. This data require confirmation by further studies.