The Brazilian Orthoptic Association (CBOrt), a member of the IOA, celebrated the date by optimizing the project “Orthoptic and Children’s vision” on June 4th 2018, commemorative date of last year. The main objetive of the project is to detect low vision acuity at an early age. Orthoptists are trained since graduation and acquire practice in evaluating children of all ages and thus the idea of examining babies in daycare centers arose.
The elaboration of the project was also motivated after several orthoptists reported the increase in the number of amblyopic children referred using their first optical correction in old age for the beginning of treatment.
The pilot project for visual screening in children aged 0 to 5 years was carried out at a school in the municipal network of Early Childhood Education in the city of Caieiras in Sao Paulo.
The Brazilian Orthoptic Association was represented by two orthoptists who evaluated 128 children from 4 months to 5 years of age. Cortical Snellen visual acuity test and ocular motility exam were performed on 57 children aged 4 to 5 years and ocular motility exam on 71 children under 4 years old.
The class teachers received training by watching an informative video on visual acuity, as they were responsible for the initial training with the children in their classroom. Each taught their students the Snellen “E” test.
The children were evaluated in one of the school’s classrooms where the assistant teacher and the principal were present together with the examining orthoptists, that is, a familiar environment. Only two children at a time were called into the room to avoid distraction between them.
Of the 57 children aged 4 t o 5 years, only six did not participate in the test. Children under 4 years old were assessed each in their classroom during class activities, without interrupting the routine to also avoid distraction that would impair the exam.
The results obtained do not differ much from the literature on screening for VA in children, that is, of the 128 children evaluated, six were reffered for evaluation with the ophthalmologist. They presented low visual acuity in OU, difference of VA of 2 lines between the eyes and a micro deviation.
The parents received the notice of the project a week earlier and there was no denial. The school diretor was responsible for informing them about the project’s objetives, stressing that it would be a screening and not a medical evaluation and finally referral to an ophthalmologist, if necessary.
We believe that the pilot project of “Orthoptic and Children’s vision” obtained positive results making it feasible to repeat on another scale, that is, the Brazilian Orthoptic Association has a proposal to replicate it in other states with the collaboration of the Orthoptists members and partners, along the lines of the IOA, which has community aid projects in action.
We will work for the next celebration of the “World Orthoptic Day” 2019 which will be on the 3rd of June next!
Until then!
Celina Tamaki Monteiro de Castro
IOA Representative
Brazil
https://www.internationalorthoptics.org/fileadmin/user_upload/WOD_Brazil.pdf
