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Vision Testing
Vision testing is carried out at the time of routine medical inspections, but, additionally, it has
now become the practice to test vision when children reach seven years of age. These tests are
conducted in school by the Health Visitor/School Nurses. Such tests are also given to children aged
between eight and ten if, for some reason, their vision had not been checked at the age of seven
(e.g. a child who had come to live within the Borough at, say, eight years of age and whose previous
authority did not vision test at the age of seven).
During the year under review, this extra group of routine vision tests resulted as follows:—
Number of children tested 3,528
Number referred for opinion of School Doctor 163
Of the 163 children brought to the notice of the School Doctor:—
59 were referred to the Authority's Ophthalmic Clinics.
51 were referred for treatment via general practitioners at the request of parents.
31 were deferred for re-examination at the School Clinics.
14 were considered to have normal vision.
3 were already having ophthalmic treatment.
5 left the area while investigations were proceeding.
Of the 59 children referred to the Authority's Ophthalmic Clinics:—
52 were prescribed glasses.
7 were noted for re-examination.
Five of the 59 children were also referred to the Authority's Orthoptic Clinic.
Orthoptic Clinics
On her appointment in January, 1965, the Orthoptist contacted all the children who had been
receiving treatment from her predecessor and who had not been discharged or transferred. Of these
patients, 10 are still attending for observation or treatment. Several will be finally discharged within
the next few months.
The most common type of deviation found at the school clinic examinations is the convergent
squint. Of these, the majority respond well to treatment comprising full correction of any refractive
error, occlusion and orthoptic training. A small proportion also require surgery and are referred to
one of the hospital consultants in the area, returning for observation and further orthoptic training
on discharge from hospital.
Of the divergent squints, it is interesting that this type of deviation is most frequently found
among children of the lower levels of intelligence.
With treatment of all types of squint the importance of full co-operation from the patient
himself, and his parents, cannot be too highly stressed.
I should like to express my appreciation of the work done by the Health Visitors, whose help
in following up patients who fail to attend, or who have family problems precluding successful
treatment, is invaluable.
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