Related Experiment Videos
Tear production during the neonatal period
Ebru Toker1, Ozlem Yenice, Mehdi S Oğüt
1Department of Ophthalmology, Marmara University, Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey. aetoker@superonline.com
American Journal of Ophthalmology
|May 31, 2002
Summary
Newborn tear production, measured by the Schirmer test, depends on infant maturity. Preterm infants show reduced tear secretion compared to term infants, with significant increases during the neonatal period.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal ophthalmology
- Pediatric physiology
Background:
- Tear secretion is crucial for ocular health.
- Understanding tear production in newborns is important for assessing ocular development and health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure tear secretion in term and preterm infants.
- To assess the correlation between tear secretion and infant maturity (post-conceptional age and birth-weight).
- To evaluate changes in tear production during the neonatal period.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, observational case series involving 96 term and 22 preterm infants.
- Tear secretion measured using the Schirmer test (total and basal tear secretion).
- Measurements taken within 2 days of birth, and repeated at 2 and 4 weeks.
Main Results:
- Term infants had higher mean total tear production (16.3 mm) than preterm infants (7.4 mm).
- Total tear secretion correlated with birth-weight and post-conceptional age in preterm infants.
- Significant increases in tear secretion were observed in both term and preterm infants over the neonatal period.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal tear production is dependent on infant maturity.
- Preterm infants exhibit lower tear secretion compared to term infants.
- Tear production increases significantly during the neonatal period for both groups.