Vision problems and visual impairment in
preschool children can lead to learning and development problems that impacts
long term academic and even social success. Researchers reporting in the
journal JAMA Ophthalmology studied the prevalence, demographic and geographic
variations of visual impairment in kids and projected what might lie ahead.
In
2015, more than 174 000 children aged 3 to 5 years in the United States were
visually impaired. Almost 121 000 of these cases (69%) arose from simple
uncorrected refractive error, and 43 000 (25%) from bilateral amblyopia. The
number of preschool children with visual impairment is projected to increase by
26% in 2060. Hispanic white children will account for the largest number and
proportion of cases, followed by African American children.
This
study suggests that
the number of preschool children with visual impairment is projected to
increase disproportionally, especially among minority populations. Vision
screening for refractive error and related eye diseases may prevent a high
proportion of preschool children from experiencing unnecessary visual
impairment and associated developmental delays.
