Down's patients show need for regular tests

The European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) has called for Down's syndrome patients to have regular eye examinations after research found significant differences from the norm in the structure of the eye in Down's.

Research by Dr Julie-Anne Little and Dr Kathryn Saunders of the University of Ulster and Dr Margaret Woodhouse of Cardiff University demonstrated that patients often had problems with the lens and the cornea, and despite spectacle correction, often fail to achieve optimum visual acuity.

The study, published in Optometry and Vision Science, looked into the connection between corneal power and astigmatism in Down's.