ARE VISUAL DISORDERS IN 2-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN RELIABLY DIAGNOSED BY STANDARD SCREENING EXAMINATIONS

Visual disorders in 2 year old children are unreliably discovered by screening examination performed by pediatricians working in practice. In a collaborative study with 47 pediatricians we evaluated the results of 3000 of their screening examinations in 2 year old children and examined 435 children of the university clinic. Most of the pediatricians had used incomplete and non-standardized screening techniques; only 4% had corresponded to given screening recommendations. Whereas squint-eyed children are mainly detected within the first two years of life (55%), screening for refractional anomalies lacks significant success (8%). Since valid screening techniques for refractional anomalies can not be performed before the age of 3-4 years, the demand for a early screening for refractional anomalies remains questionable.