Mohindra Retinoscopy versus Wet Retinoscopy (Cycloplegic Refraction)

What is it about?

When young children need glasses, doctors must find the exact power of their eyes. This is difficult because babies and small children cannot read eye charts and they keep moving their eyes. In this study, we compared two ways of checking glasses power in 56 infants and children aged 3 months to 8 years. The first method was Mohindra retinoscopy, which is done in a dark room without any eye drops. The second method was wet retinoscopy, which is done after putting cycloplegic eye drops (1% cyclopentolate) that temporarily relax the focusing muscles of the eye. We did both tests on every child and compared the results to see which method gives a more accurate glasses power.

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Photo by Navy Medicine on Unsplash

Photo by Navy Medicine on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Children have very strong focusing muscles. Without drops, they can hide their true glasses power, especially farsightedness (hyperopia). If we miss this, the child may get the wrong glasses, which can lead to lazy eye, squint, and poor vision. Our study found that the method without drops (Mohindra) gave lower power than the method with drops. It underestimated both farsightedness and astigmatism. This is important for parents and eye doctors because it shows that for babies and young children, checking with drops (wet retinoscopy) is still the most reliable way. It helps us give the correct glasses at the right time and protect the child's vision. The method without drops can be used only when drops are not possible, but its results should be checked carefully.

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