Seasonal and Annual Change in Physiological Ocular Growth of 7- to 11-Year-Old Norwegian Children

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate seasonal and annual change in physiological eye growth in Norwegian school children. Methods: Measurements of ocular biometry, non-cycloplegic spherical equivalent autorefraction (SER), and choroidal thickness (ChT) were obtained for 92 children (44 females) aged 7 to 11 years at four time points over a year (November 2019–November 2020). Seasons (3- and 5-month intervals) were classified as winter (November–January), winter–spring (January–June), and summer–autumn (June–November). Cycloplegic SER was obtained in January and used to group children. The seasonal and annual changes were tested with a linear mixed-effects model (P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons). Results: All the children experienced annual ocular growth, irrespective of SER, but less so during the summer–autumn. The baseline SER was lower (P < 0.001), axial length (AL) was longer (P < 0.038), and choroids were thicker in 10- to 11-year-old than 7- to 8-year-old mild hyperopes (P = 0.002). Assuming mild hyperopes (n = 65) experience only physiological eye growth, modeling revealed seasonal and annual increases in AL across sex and age (P < 0.018), with less change during the summer–autumn than winter–spring. The 7- to 8-year-olds had a larger decrease annually and over winter–spring in SER (P ≤ 0.036) and in ChT over winter–spring than the 10- to 11-year-olds (P = 0.006). Conclusions: There were significant seasonal and annual changes in AL in children who had physiological eye growth irrespective of age within this cohort. Annual changes in SER and seasonal choroidal thinning were only observed in 7- to 8-year-old children. This indicates continued emmetropization in 7- to 8-year-olds and a transition to maintaining emmetropia in 10- to 11-year-olds.