Binocular vision and abnormal head posture in children when watching television.

Aim: To determine the association between the binocular vision and an abnormal head posture (AHP) when watching television (TV) in children 7-14y of age.

Methods: Fifty normal children in the normal group and 52 children with an AHP when watching TV in the AHP group were tested for spherical equivalents, far and near fusional convergence (FC) and fusional divergence (FD) amplitudes, near point of convergence, far and near heterophoria, accommodative convergence/ accommodation ratio and stereoacuity. The values of these tests were compared between the two groups. The independent t test was applied at a confidence level of 95%.

Results: The far and near FC amplitudes and far FD amplitudes were lower in the AHP group (the far FC amplitudes: break point 13.6±5.4(Δ), recovery point 8.7±5.4(Δ). The near FC amplitudes: break point 14.5±7.3(Δ), recovery point 10.3±5.1(Δ). The far FD amplitudes: break point 3.9±2.7(Δ), recovery point 2.6±2.3(Δ)) compared with those in the normal group (the far FC amplitudes: break point 19.1±6.2(Δ), recovery point 12.4±4.5(Δ). The near FC amplitudes: break point 22.3±8.0(Δ), recovery point 16.1±5.7(Δ). The far FD amplitudes: break point 7.0±2.1(Δ), recovery point 4.6±1.9(Δ)). Other tests presented no statistically significant differences.

Conclusion: An association between the reduced FC and FD amplitudes and the AHP in children when watching TV is proposed in the study. This kind of AHP is considered to be an anomalous manifestation which appears in a part of puerile patients of fusional vergence dysfunction.