Emmetropisation, squint, and reduced visual acuity after treatment.

In a sample of children used to assess the value of optical correction of hypermetropia from the age of 6 months the refraction of the most hypermetropic meridian frequently became less than 3.5 D as the children grew. When this occurred, the incidence of squint was significantly less (p less than 0.001) and the last known acuity after treatment was significantly better (p less than 0.001) than when it did not. This process of emmetropisation appears to have been impeded by the consistent wearing of hypermetropic spectacle correction from the age of 6 months.