Achieving Optimal Correction for Young Myopic Children: A Concept Study

The purpose of this article is to explore alternative ways of achieving optimal correction for myopic children who cannot cooperate to subjective manifest refraction (SR). The study included myopic children aged 9–12 years who underwent non-cycloplegic SR and autorefraction with and without cycloplegia using the Shin-Nippon Nvision-K 5001 autorefractor (AR) as well as non-cycloplegic autorefraction using the Topcon KR-800S AR. There were 21 children (mean age, 10.62 years) included. The spherical equivalent refractive error of SR was not significantly different from that of non-cycloplegic AR measurements, but it was significantly different from that of cycloplegic Shin-Nippon Nvision-K 5001 measurements ( p < 0.001). Compared with SR, cycloplegic Shin-Nippon Nvision-K 5001 measured a less myopic refractive error (median: −2.44 D vs. −2.88 D, p < 0.001). For both ARs, the axis measurements and astigmatic dioptre values between SR and autorefraction were not significantly different. Compared with non-cycloplegic SR, cycloplegic measurements showed a lesser degree of myopic refractive error. There was no significant difference between SR and non-cycloplegic autorefraction. Therefore, the Topcon KR-800S and the Shin-Nippon Nvision-K 5001 ARs may be useful for prescribing glasses in myopic children who cannot cooperate during SR. However, caution should be taken with cylinders <0.75 D because the agreement in axis between SR and AR measurement is poor. Therefore, in such cases, we suggest to add half the cylinder to the spherical component.