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Visual function in school-aged children born before 29 weeks of gestation: a population-based study
A L Hård1, A Niklasson, E Svensson
1Section of Paediatric Ophthalmology, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. annalena.hard@oft.gu.se
Insights
Very preterm children often experience visual-perceptual challenges. Early screening and assessment of visual function are crucial before school entry to address these common issues.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Preterm birth is associated with various developmental challenges.
- Visual impairments and perceptual deficits are known risks in this population.
- Understanding the prevalence of visual-perceptual issues in very preterm children is essential for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate visual function, including visual perception, in school-aged children born very preterm.
- To compare the visual perceptual skills of preterm children with a term-born control group.
- To identify the prevalence of visual impairment and perceptual difficulties in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 51 very preterm children (median age 7.2 years) and 50 term-born controls were assessed.
- Visual acuity, visual fields, stereoacuity, and visual perception were evaluated.
- The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills Revised (TVPS-R) was used to measure visual perception.
Main Results:
- Six percent of preterm children had visual acuity less than 0.3 (6/18).
- 42% of all preterm children scored below the 5th centile on the TVPS-R, compared to 14% of controls.
- 34% of preterm children without known brain lesions also showed deficits in visual perception.
Conclusions:
- Visual-perceptual problems are prevalent in very preterm children.
- Routine screening for visual-perceptual skills is recommended before school entry.
- Early identification and assessment can facilitate timely support for affected children.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to assess visual function, including visual perception, in a geographically-based population of school-aged children, with a median age of 7.2 years (range 5.1 to 9.3 years), born before 29 weeks of gestation to mothers living in Goteborg, Sweden. Fifty-one preterm children participated in the study, six of whom had known brain lesions. Visual acuity, visual fields, stereoacuity, and visual perception were tested. The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills Revised (TVPS-R, Gardner 1996) was used to measure visual perception, and the results were compared with those of 50 term (control) subjects. Six percent of the preterm children were visually impaired, with a visual acuity of less than 0.3 (6/18), while 42% of all the preterm children and 34% of those without known brain lesions had a total score below the 5th centile of the reference material for the test, compared with 14% of the control subjects. In conclusion, visual-perceptual problems seem to be common among very preterm children and should be screened for and assessed before the children start school.