Change in body height, axial length and refractive status over a four-year period in caucasian children and young adults

• Published in: Journal of optometry 2020-04, Vol.13 (2), p.128-136
• Main Authors: Kearney, Stephanie, Strang, Niall C, Cagnolati, Bastian, Gray, Lyle S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Axial length; Body height; Estatura; Longitud axial; Miopía; Myopia; Original article
• ISSN: 1888-4296; 1989-1342
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optom.2019.12.008

Body height and axial length (AL) increase during childhood with excessive axial elongation resulting in myopia. There is no consensus regarding the association between body growth and AL during refractive development. This study explored the association between change in body height, AL and refractive status over 4-years in children and young adults. Measures were collected biennially (timepoints: t1, t2, t3) (t1 n = 140, aged 5-20years). Non-cycloplegic autorefraction was obtained using the Shin-Nippon openfield autorefractor. AL, corneal curvature (CC) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured by IOL Master. Body height (cm) was measured using a wall mounted tape measure. Refractive status was classified using spherical equivalent refraction (SER): persistent emmetropes (PE) (-0.50D to +1.00D), persistent myopes (PM) (≤-0.50D), progressing myopes (PrM) (increase of ≤-0.50D between timepoints), incident myopes (IM) (subsequent SER≤-0.50D) and persistent hyperopes (PH) (>+1.00D). Change in AL and change in height were correlated in the PE (all t:p ≤ 0.003) and the IM (t1-t2 p = 0.04). For every increase in body height of 1 cm: t1-t2: AL increased by 0.03 mm in the PE, 0.15 in the PM, 0.11 mm in the IM, 0.14 mm in the PrM, -0.006 mm in the PH. T2-t3: AL increased by 0.02 mm in the PE, 0.06 in the PM, 0.16 mm in the PrM, 0.12 mm in the IM and -0.03 mm in the PH. In emmetropia body growth and axial elongation are correlated. In participants with myopia, body growth appears to stabilise whilst axial elongation continues at a much faster rate indicating dysregulation of normal ocular growth. La estatura y la longitud axial (LA) se incrementan durante la infancia, derivando en miopía el exceso de elongación axial. No existe consenso acerca de la asociación entre crecimiento corporal y LA durante el desarrollo refractivo. Este estudio exploró la asociación entre los cambios de estatura, LA y estatus refractivo a lo largo de un periodo de cuatro años en niños y adultos jóvenes. Las medidas se recopilaron bianualmente (puntos temporales: t1, t2, t3) (t1 n = 140, edades de 5 a 20 años). Se obtuvo autorefracción no ciclopléjica utilizando el autorrefractor de campo abierto Shin-Nippon. Se midieron LA, curvatura de la córnea (CC) y profundidad de la cámara anterior (ACD) utilizando IOL Master. La estatura (cm) se midió utilizando una cinta medidora montada en la pared. El estatus refractivo se clasificó utilizando la refracción equivalente esférica (SER): emétro