Corneal electroretinograms in children without sedation.

Many physicians assume that general anesthesia or sedation is necessary to perform electroretinograms (ERGs) on children and for this reason are reluctant to request the test. To challenge this assumption, routine contact lens ERGs, using topical anesthesia only, were attempted on 30 consecutively referred children (aged five months to six years). Mild restraint was sometimes needed, but successful oscilloscopic ERGs were obtained from all 30 children. The records were less stable than those from adults, but the response amplitude, wave-form and timing could always be evaluated and the cone and rod systems could be clearly differentiated.