AMBLYOPIA AND REFRACTIVE ERRORS IN BULGARIAN PEDIATRIC POPULATION - PROPHYLAXIS AND PREVALENCE

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and prophylaxis of amblyopia and refractive errors in the Bulgarian population according to the existing literature. Methods: A systematic literature review on the topic was accomplished by searching for articles in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science.gov databases. Results: The reviewed articles suggest that refractive errors are the most common cause of decrease in visual acuity among children in Bulgaria, followed by amblyopia. Anisometropia accounts for the major proportion of amblyopia occurrence. As for refractive errors, hypermetropia and astigmatism represent the most frequent refractive status in the childhood population. In addition, the prevalence of amblyopia in Bulgaria differs from worldwide data. Despite the great impact that a lifelong decreased vision, resulting from treatable causes during childhood, can have on an individual, there is no national screening program for preschool children. Conclusion: The fact that the majority of cases with decreased vision can be managed successfully in the childhood period signifies the importance of timely measures such as prophylaxis and appropriate treatment, which should be adopted as a national healthcare strategy.