AIM: To investigate the refractive status of the preschool children in Xiantao, Hubei Province in order to find out the abnormal refraction error beyond the physiological range.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated preschool children in kindergartens and the scattered ones were 12 716(25 432 eyes)ranging from 6mo～6 years old. 1 581 children(3 162 eyes)were diagnosed ametropia by Suresight refractive screening instrument, which were confirmed again after mydriasis optometry.

RESULTS: The incidence rate of ametropia in preschool children in Xiantao was 12.4%, and statistics showed no significant difference between boys and girls(P>0.05), but had differences of morbility rate among each age group(P<0.05). With age increasing morbility rate of the refractive error decreased. The simple hyperopia and the compound hyperopia astigmatism were dominant in all refraction error. Professional ophthalmologists diagnosed amblyopia in 261 children(522 eyes), which was 16.5%, among 1 581 abnormal refractive children(3 162 eyes)screened out by Suresight refractive screening instrument.

CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of ametropia decreases with age increasing in the preschool children from 6mo～6 years old, which imply preschool children should have mydriasis optometry in order to find out amblyopia and other congenital eye disease.