Investigation of Natural Refractive Changes in Young Hyperopic Children Using Atropine Cycloplegic Refraction.

AIM: This retrospective study evaluated refractive error changes following atropine sulfate eye drop use in young children. METHODS: Patients under 12 years of age who underwent their first atropine refraction between 2001 and 2021 were included in this study. The objective refractive error changes in children who underwent a second cycloplegic refraction with the same atropine concentration within 18 months of the first refraction were assessed. Refractive errors were compared between patients with myopic (myopic group) and hyperopic (hyperopic group) changes. RESULTS: Among the 153 eyes that received two refractive examinations, the refractive error changed by 0.21±0.61 diopters (D). The mean refractive error changes were -0.45±0.34 D and 0.49±0.46 D for the myopic (50 eyes, 33%) and hyperopic (103 eyes, 67%) groups, respectively. The mean refractive errors of the initial refractions were 5.42±2.95 D and 4.18±2.68 D for the myopic and hyperopic groups, respectively (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The refractive error changes between the first and second examinations were hyperopic, and in 67% of cases, the refractive error was possibly underestimated during the first examination.