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Visual development in infants and young children with Down's syndrome
Author(s) -
Woodhouse J. Margaret,
Pakeman Valerie H.,
Parker Margaret,
Cregg Mary,
Fraser William I.,
Lobo Sandra,
Sastry Prema
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1046/j.1475-1313.1996.96833527.x
Subject(s) - accommodation , retinoscopy , visual acuity , refractive error , optometry , down syndrome , pediatrics , population , medicine , psychology , developmental psychology , ophthalmology , psychiatry , environmental health , neuroscience
Purpose: Ocular and refractive defects are common amongst people with Down's syndrome. We are conducting a long‐term study of the development of refraction, accommodation and acuity in infants with Down's syndrome, from 12 weeks of age, in order to identify age of onset and possible consequences of such defects. Methods: To date, 54 children have entered the study. All measurements are made during home visits, and comprise Mohindra and dynamic retinoscopy, and Preferential Looking. Results: Cross‐sectional data suggest that acuity lies within normal ranges in infancy, and falls behind the norms only from the age of 2 years. Refractive errors in the general population decrease in infancy (the process of emmetropisation). Our data show that the opposite happens in children with Down's syndrome. The prevalence of refractive errors is higher in the preschool and school‐age children, than amongst the infants. Accommodation is defective from the earliest age of testing. Infants and young children with Down's syndrome consistently under‐accommodate to near targets, even when visual acuity and refractive errors are normal. Conclusions: The implication of accommodative dysfunction on emmetropisation is considered, and the possible association between visual and cognitive development explored.