Resumen

DIAZ U., Rodrigo; RAIMANN S., Rolf  y  FARINA B., Ariel. Screening for amblyopia in pre-school children in the Family Health Centre, Bernardo Leighton. Rev. chil. pediatr. [online]. 2003, vol.74, n.6, pp.595-598. ISSN 0370-4106.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0370-41062003000600006.

Introduction:Amblyopia refers to a decrease of vision for which no organic cause can be found and its prevalence varies between 1 to 5% in the general population. Objectives:to assess the prevalence and determine the causes of amblyopia in 4 to 5 year old pre-school children. Methods:94 children were randomly sent from the Bernardo Leighton Family Health Center for a complete ophthalmological examination. Corrected visual acuity and refraction were measured to determine the existance of amblyopia. Results: Amblyopia was found in 9.6% of children, being bilateral in 5.3%, astigmatism being the principal cause. 93.3% of children with a visual acuity without correction equal or less than 0.5 had amblyopia. Conclusiones:The high prevalence of amblyopia found in pre-school children demonstrates the need to begin a visual screening programme to enable its early detection. A visual acuity without correction equal or less than 0.5 is a risk factor for amblyopia

Palabras clave : Amblyopia; preschool children; visual acuity; LEA chart; stereopsis; astigmatism.