One in three otherwise healthy children are suffering from dry eye disease, according to a new study.

The observational, descriptive, non-comparative, cross-sectional ocular surface function study was conducted in a healthy paediatric population from three schools in Bogotá, Colombia. Sxity children aged between seven and 17-years-old (41.6% girls) were asked to fill in a symptom questionnaire and have 11 ocular surface tests done.

Unexpectedly, researchers observed 100% of the children had differences in at least one test, compared with normal adult values, and one-third had dry eye disease, when compared with TFOS DEWS II defined standards for evaluating tear film and ocular surface, which is higher than previous study reports, which used a smaller number of tests, said co-author Professor Alejandra de-la-Torre from Rosario University in Bogotá.

Of those assessed, 100% used screen devices and were more exposed to screen time, compared with previous studies, said researchers, however no statistical associations were found between screen-use profiles (TV/tablet/smartphone) and ocular surface-test differences. Researchers also highlighted the possibility of environmental factors, such as pollution, ultraviolet radiation and high altitude, all significant in Bogotá, having a possibly effect on the participants’ eyes. It is crucial to carry out further multicentric studies involving different paediatric populations to standardise the normal values of the ocular surface tests in healthy children, they concluded. “This will help to recognise, prevent and treat opportunely ocular surface diseases in this population.”

The open access study High prevalence of abnormal ocular surface tests in a healthy paediatric population was published in Clinical Ophthalmology.