Amblyopai and strabismus in 1 648 preschool children of Xining District

Objective To investigate the incidence and risk factors of amblyopia and strabimus in preschool children of Xining district. Methods Visual acuity of 1 648 children at the age of 3-6 years who visited our outpatient clinic in 2006 was investigated through questionnaires. Results The total incidence of amblyopia in preschool children of Xining district was 4.48%.Amblyopia was detected in 10 cases（3.49%） at the age of 3 years,16 cases（2.31%） at the age of 4 years,23 cases（5.02%） at the age of 5 years,and 25 cases（11.79%） at the age of 6 years,respectively（P＜0.05）.The total incidence of strabismus was 1.82%.Accommodative internal strabismus,intermittent external strabismus,and paralytic strabismus were detected in 11（37%）,18（60%） and l（3%） cases,respectively. Conclusion Amblyopia was the main reason of strabismus in preschool children.Questionnaire investigation showed that long-term watching TV in a close distance,looking sideways,food preference,and insufficient sleep were the main reasons of low vision acuity in preschool children.It is critical to reduce the incidence of amblyopia by publicizing its prevention and treatment and carrying out routine eye examination in preschool children.