112 deaf children were examined for eye conditions. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between age and refractive errors, with P ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Among the participants, 59 came from a school for the blind and deaf, and 53 from our ENT consultation, totaling 112 children. Of these, 86 children received an eye examination for the first time. Boys accounted for 75 (66.9%) and girls 37 (33%). From Dalian city, there were 45 children (40.2%), 52 from the northern region (46.4%), and 15 from outside the city (13.4%). Ocular abnormalities were found in 82 children (73.2%). Among them, 54 (48.2%) were diagnosed with refractive errors, and only four children (3.57%) wore glasses.
Table 1 shows the number of children with refractive errors and their age relationships (n = 54). Table 2 lists children with other eye diseases (n = 112). Diseases included: ptosis (2 children), eyelid inflammation (18 children), trichiasis (10 children), conjunctivitis (2 children), blepharitis (6 children).
In terms of refractive error types, as shown in Table 1, 40 children had myopia (myopia + nearsightedness), accounting for 74% of refractive errors and 35.7% of the total sample. Nine children had hyperopia (farsightedness + far bulk), making up 16.7% of refractive errors and 8.03% of the total sample. Five children had mixed astigmatism, accounting for 9.26% of refractive errors and 8.03% of the total sample. The prevalence of myopia was higher among 10-year-old children (28 out of 54 children: 51.85%). This difference was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). The majority of myopic children had mild myopia, and uncorrected visual acuity less than 4.8 required parental consent for dilated optometry.
Nine children (8.03%) were found to have amblyopia, with 4 (3.57%) having unilateral myopia and 5 (4.46%) suffering from binocular amblyopia. Besides refractive errors, other ocular anomalies were also identified (see Table 3). For various eye diseases, teachers and parents were given detailed treatment options and precautions, along with appointment times.
The survey revealed that 54 (48.2%) children were diagnosed with refractive errors, with myopia accounting for 35.7%, hyperopia 8.03%, and amblyopia 8.03%. Xu Bao Sui reported the incidence of myopia in healthy children, with preschool children at 2.97%, primary school students at 7.77%, and high school students at 22.52%. VonNoorder collected data on various amblyopia censuses, finding that preschool and school-age children had incidences ranging from 1.3% to 3%, with ophthalmic cases at 4% to 5.8%.
For deaf children, the incidence of myopia, hyperopia, and amblyopia was significantly higher than in normal children, and the survey results were also higher than the general census rates. Risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss in newborns include: (1) fetal viral or non-bacterial infections; (2) severe asphyxia after birth; (3) weighing less than 1500g; (4) increased unconjugated bilirubin leading to hyperbilirubinemia; (5) head and neck deformities; (6) family history of deafness; (7) bacterial meningitis, and retardation. These reasons are also associated with ophthalmic refractive errors, epicanthus, congenital ptosis, trichiasis, strabismus, fundus (congenital), and congenital cataracts. Due to their more isolated living environment, these children do not prioritize eye health, leading to a higher incidence and degree of myopia.
Among the 112 deaf children surveyed, 76.8% underwent their first eye examination. On one hand, these children's families face mental and financial burdens, while on the other hand, many parents fail to communicate effectively with their children about eye issues due to insufficient attention. Previous literature reports suggest that the probability of eye problems in deaf children is higher than in normal children, indicating that eye health concerns for these children should be strengthened.