Risk Factors of Strabismus in Children in a Southern Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes affecting one or both eyes. The deviation of the eyes could be esodeviation, exodeviation, hyperdeviation or hypodeviation. Its prevalence is low globally and varies in different regions of the world. In our local environment esotropia is the commonest form of presentation. The possible risk factors that predispose a child to developing strabismus is necessary for early mitigation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the possible risk factors of strabismus among children attending the Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinic in the university of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital ( a tertiary hospital) in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria.

Method: One hundred and twenty-five (125) consecutive children with manifest strabismus attending the Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital from October 2016 to March 20 18 were recruited for the study.

Results: The prevalence of manifest strabismus was 6.6%. Refractive error (hypermetropia and astigmatism) was the most prevalent ocular risk factor seen among these children. Other risk factors were amblyopia, prematurity, low birth weight, family history of strabismus and female sex. Conclusion: Adequate cycloplegic refraction should form a baseline clinical procedure for children presenting with strabismus.

Keywords: Children; Risk factor; Strabismus