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Astigmatism in children
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
Astigmatism often occurs in healthy children. Recall that carrying out off-axis retinoscopy in newborns promotes overdiagnosis of astigmatism. The degree of astigmatism, as a rule, decreases during the first year of life. By the age of 8, in most children, in the absence of a combined pathology of the cornea (for example, keratoconus), the degree of refractive astigmatism usually acquires stability.
[Significance of astigmatism in children
The main significance is the relationship of astigmatism with amblyopia and strabismus. With astigmatism, comorbid disorders can occur, including:
- corneal pathology (eg, keratoconus);
- hypoplasia of the optic nerve;
- ptosis;
- congenital motor nystagmus.
Astigmatism of a high degree may accompany a certain general pathology, including:
- albinism;
- fetal alcohol syndrome;
- pigmentary retinitis.
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Treatment of astigmatism in children
Treatment of patients with direct astigmatism and astigmatism of a weak degree is not difficult. Treatment consists in:
- the appointment of spectacle correction;
- contact correction / gas permeable or soft toric contact lenses;
- refractive surgery - in patients of childhood it is usually not shown.