ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study was carried out at the Department of Ophthalmology, Odense University Hospital during the period 1984-1988, while I was a Research Fellow of the Odense University. This work would never have been carried out without the cooperation of the children and their parents, and my first thanks are to them. My adviser throughout the study, Professor Ernst Goldschrnidt, MD, gave me invaluable inspiration and guidance, and he has shown unfailing interest and given encouragement all through the study, for which I am most grateful. Similarly, I would like to thank the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Odense University Hospital, Kresten Work, MD for providing me with support and giving me excellent facilities, and to the other Heads of the Department Svend Faurschou and Kelvin Kamp Mortensen for their help. I am also indebted to Orthoptist Jytte Kirkegaard Nielsen who was so kind as to help me perform the ortoptic part of the investigation. I was very grateful to the late Professor Mogens Hauge, MD, who so kindly introduced me to the intricacies of epidemiology. Further, I would like to thank Lise Hansen, MSc for her skilful assistance and her willingness to help when necessary in programming and processing the data. Herbert Drue, technician, has been very helpful in discussing many of the problems with the ultrasound measurements. The members of the staff of the Ophthalmological Department, Odense University Hospital have given help in many ways. The present study population was originally collected from the Schools of Odense, and I would like to thank the Odense Skole Vaesen for permitting me to attend their clinics, and the nurses in the schools for helping me during the investigation. I am also indebted to Jytte Gamdrup, secretary, who helped me during the school investigation and to Kirsten Ekkelund Andersen who provided me with very considerable help throughout the study period. C.N. Harris, PhD translated the dissertation and I would like to thank him for his great helpfulness throughout the study. My husbond Vagn has been very helpful in discussing statistical problems and without his encouragement and support it would have been very difficult to complete this thesis. My children Martin and Lisbeth have shown great patience during what must have been a trying period. The investigation has received generous financial support from: Sygekassemes Helsefond Komiteen ti1 forebyggelse af blindhed The Danish Medical Research Council Victor Larsens Legat Cai Stuck-Sorensens Fond Synoptik A/S Merck, Sharp and Dohme kindly provided the timolol eye drops and Delfer Instrumenter supplied a number of instruments.