Abstract

Objectives: Uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment in children. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, we analyzed a social visual screening program for school children in São Paulo, Brazil, evaluated its impact on the prevention and treatment of children’s visual disabilities, and assessed its epidemiological outcomes to outline suggestions for its improvement.

Methods: First-grade children from public schools were submitted to prior visual screening by their teachers. Selected children were forwarded to the hospital’s campaigns for a second screening by ophthalmologists and treatment if needed. Data were analyzed for age, sex, visual acuity, biomicroscopy, refractive errors, ocular movement disorders, amblyopia, number of donated spectacles, and number of children forwarded to specialized care.

Results: A total of 1080 children were included with mean age of 6.24±0.45 years. Children with normal ophthalmological exam, 591 (54.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.7%-57.7%) were dismissed and considered false-positives. Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism components were found in 164 (15.2%; CI: 13.1%-17.4%), 190 (17.6%; CI: 15.3%-20.0%), and 330 (30.5%; CI: 27.8%-33.4%) children, respectively. Amblyopia was diagnosed in 54 (5%; CI: 3.5%-6.4%) children, and 117 (10.8%; CI: 9.8%-12.8%) presented ocular movement disorders. A total of 420 glasses were donated.

Conclusion: Epidemiological findings for amblyopia and refractive errors are consistent with those of similar studies. The expressive number of diagnoses performed and number of glasses donated to underprivileged children depict the importance of such projects. New guidelines to improve their cost-effectiveness, such as professional training and community sensitization, are imperative.

Costa DRD, Debert I, Susanna FN, Falabreti JG, Polati M, Susanna Júnior R. Vision for the Future Project: Screening impact on the prevention and treatment of visual impairments in public school children in São Paulo City, Brazil. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2021 Oct 1;76:e3062. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2021/e3062. PMID: 34614115.

Abstract

Purpose: To compare myopia progression estimated by the Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) Myopia Calculator with cycloplegic measures in Hong Kong children wearing single-vision distance spectacles over a 1- and 2-year period.

Methods: Baseline age, spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and ethnicity of control participants from previous longitudinal myopia studies were input into the BHVI Myopia Calculator to generate an estimate of the SER at 1 and 2 years. Differences between the measured and estimated SER (116 and 100 participants with 1- and 2-year subjective refraction data, respectively, and 111 and 95 participants with 1- and 2-year objective refraction, respectively) were analysed, and the measured SER compared with the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the estimated SER.

Results: In children aged 7-13 years, 36% progressed within the 95% CI of the Myopia Calculator’s estimate, whereas 33% became less myopic than predicted (range 0.31 to 1.92 D less at 2 years) and 31% became more myopic than predicted (range 0.25 to 2.33 D more myopic at 2 years). The average difference between the estimated and measured subjective or objective SER at 1 and 2 years of follow-up was not clinically significant (<0.25 D).

Conclusions: On average, the BHVI Myopia Calculator estimated SER was in close agreement with measured cycloplegic SER after 1 and 2 years of follow-up (mean differences < 0.25 D). However, the measured myopia progression only fell within the 95% CI of the estimated SER for 32%-38% of children, suggesting that the BHVI ‘without management’ progression data should be interpreted with caution. The inclusion of additional data, modified to include axial elongation, from longitudinal studies of longer duration with larger sample sizes and a range of racial backgrounds may improve the Calculator’s ability to predict future myopia progression for individual children.

Yang Y, Cheung SW, Cho P, Vincent SJ. Comparison between estimated and measured myopia progression in Hong Kong children without myopia control intervention. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2021 Oct 1. doi: 10.1111/opo.12895. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34596263.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34596263/

Johnson & Johnson Vision Receives Approval in Canada for ACUVUE® Abiliti™ 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management

• First daily wear lens developed by Johnson & Johnson Vision as a breakthrough innovation specifically designed for slowing the progression of myopia in children
• Expands the growing portfolio of myopia management products and services from Johnson & Johnson Vision
• Soft contact lenses with novel ring focus technology may help address the progression of myopia in children¹
• Made of silicone hydrogel (senofilcon A) lens material, the same material as ACUVUE^® OASYS 1-Day contact lenses, which have never been beaten in comfort

JACKSONVILLE, FL – September 8, 2021 – Johnson & Johnson Vision, a global leader in eye health and part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies‡, received approval from Health Canada for ACUVUE^® Abiliti™ 1-Day Soft Therapeutic Lenses for Myopia Management. Abiliti™ 1-Day lenses are a new option of daily wear, single-use, disposable lenses that have the potential to slow the progression of myopia and are specifically designed for children who are 7 to 12 years old at the start of treatment.

https://www.jjvision.com/press-release/johnson-johnson-vision-receives-approval-canada-acuvuer-abilititm-1-day-soft

Important public health measures such as the wearing of face masks have been widely implemented during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including larger community mandatory face mask use. During this time span, an increased number of patients with dry eye symptoms have been observed among habitual mask users who do not have a history of ocular surface pathology. Individuals have described feeling air blowing upward from the mask into their eyes, which is likely to enhance the evaporation of their tear film, resulting in ocular discomfort.

While wearing a face mask is critical for combating the COVID-19 epidemic, it is critical to understand the potential consequences for eye health.

Tang YF, Chong EWT. Face Mask-Associated Recurrent Corneal Erosion Syndrome and Corneal Infection. Eye Contact Lens. 2021 Sep 3. doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000000837. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34483243.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34483243/

Abstract

Purpose: To model juvenile-onset myopia progression as a function of race/ethnicity, age, sex, parental history of myopia, and time spent reading or in outdoor/sports activity.

Methods: Subjects were 594 children in the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error (CLEERE) Study with at least three study visits: one visit with a spherical equivalent (SPHEQ) less myopic/more hyperopic than -0.75 diopter (D), the first visit with a SPHEQ of -0.75 D or more myopia (onset visit), and another after myopia onset. Myopia progression from the time of onset was modeled using cubic models as a function of age, race/ethnicity, and other covariates.

Results: Younger children had faster progression of myopia; for example, the model-estimated 3-year progression in an Asian American child was -1.93 D when onset was at age 7 years compared with -1.43 D when onset was at age 10 years. Annual progression for girls was 0.093 D faster than for boys. Asian American children experienced statistically significantly faster myopia progression compared with Hispanic (estimated 3-year difference of -0.46 D), Black children (-0.88 D), and Native American children (-0.48 D), but with similar progression compared with White children (-0.19 D). Parental history of myopia, time spent reading, and time spent in outdoor/sports activity were not statistically significant factors in multivariate models.

Conclusions: Younger age, female sex, and racial/ethnic group were the factors associated with faster myopic progression. This multivariate model can facilitate the planning of clinical trials for myopia control interventions by informing the prediction of myopia progression rates.

Jones-Jordan LA, Sinnott LT, Chu RH, Cotter SA, Kleinstein RN, Manny RE, Mutti DO, Twelker JD, Zadnik K; CLEERE Study Group. Myopia Progression as a Function of Sex, Age, and Ethnicity. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021 Aug 2;62(10):36. doi: 10.1167/iovs.62.10.36. PMID: 34463720.