Visual and ocular findings in children adopted from eastern Europe

• AIMS: To evaluate ophthalmological findings in children adopted from eastern Europe. METHODS: A prospective study on 72/99 children, born 1990-5 and adopted from eastern Europe to western Sweden during 1993-7 was performed. The children (41 boys; mean age 7.5 years) were compared with an age and sex matched reference group ("ref") of Swedish children. RESULTS: 78% of the adopted children had abnormal ocular findings. 26% (ref 4%) had visual acuity (VA) of the better eye < or = 0.5 (> or = 0.3 logMAR) (p = 0.0001) and 8% (ref 0%) were visually impaired (p = 0.01). Amblyopia was found in 15% (ref 2%) (p = 0.005). 22% (ref 10%) were hyperopic (> or = 2.0 D SE) (NS) and 10% (ref 1%) were myopic (> or = 0.5 D SE) (p = 0.03). Astigmatism (> or = 0.75 D) was found in 51% (ref 23%) (p = 0.004). 32% (ref 2%) had strabismus (p<0.0001), mostly esotropia. Four cases had bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, in three of whom a history of suspected prenatal alcohol exposure was documented. One child had congenital glaucoma. Signs of visuoperceptual problems were recorded in 37% (ref 1%) (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: In this study, children adopted from eastern Europe had a high frequency of ophthalmological findings. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that an ophthalmological examination be performed in these children after arrival in their new home country.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Oftalmologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Ophthalmology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

*Adoption

Child

Depth Perception

Europe

Eastern/ethnology

Female

Humans

Male

Prospective Studies

Refractive Errors/*epidemiology/ethnology

Research Support

Non-U.S. Gov't

Strabismus/*epidemiology/ethnology

Sweden/epidemiology

Vision Disorders/*epidemiology/ethnology

Visual Acuity

Visual function

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)