Common Eye Diseases in Children in Saudi Arabia (Jazan)

BACKGROUND: The rise in childhood eye diseases has become a matter of concern in Saudi Arabia, and hence a study has been conducted on the residents of Jazan. The aim of the research was to find out the root cause of such issues and provide a solution to prevent such circumstances for it may affect the vision of children. In this study, therefore, we aimed to determine the types of childhood eye diseases in Jazan and to discuss the best ways to prevent them or prevent their effect on the vision of our children. Our institutions are working toward the longevity and welfare of the residents, and healthcare is one of the important aspects in such a field. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of all patients less than 18 years of age who presented to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic of Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital, Jazan, between October 2014 and October 2015. The data, collected on 385 cases, included the age at first presentation, sex, clinical diagnosis, refractive error (RE) if present, and whether the child had amblyopia. If the child did not undergo complete ophthalmic examination with cycloplegic refraction, he/she was excluded. All data were collected and analyzed using the software SPSS. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We reviewed the files of 385 children, with a male/female ratio of 1.1:1.0. The group aged 0–6 years made up the largest group (P = 0.01), and the ratio is an expression to define the credibility of the study using a chi-squared test. Strabismus (36.9%), RE (26.5%), ocular trauma (7.5%), infection of cornea and conjunctiva (7.3%), and keratoconus (6.2%) were the most common conditions. There was no significant difference in presentation by age group and sex among children with REs and squint. Trauma was seen more commonly among males and in the group aged 12–18 years. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, the focus was on the common childhood eye diseases that were considerably high. Hypermetropia was the predominant RE, which is in contrast to other studies where myopia was more common. However, it is important to promote public education on the significance of early detection of strabismus, REs, and amblyopia and have periodic screening in schools. The discussion of the various issues is aimed at increasing the awareness and building a support for the cause by creating the knowledge base to treat things on time and acknowledging the severity of the issues.