Corneal diameters in infants born in two hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria

To measure the horizontal corneal diameters in infants at birth and compare with values reported in other studies.

A cross-sectional hospital based study.

All the healthy infants born within the period of one month in these hospitals were eligible for enrolment into the study. Horizontal corneal diameter measurements were performed with indirect caliper in both eyes of each of the 342 healthy full term infants and 25 preterm healthy infants born in these two hospitals. These results were evaluated according to the age of the infants

The corneal diameter in term infants was found to range from 9.00 mm to 12.50 mm during the first week of life with a mean of 10.26 mm (SD +/-0.59 mm, n = 64). This is higher than what was reported for Caucasian infants (P < 0.01). Mean horizontal corneal diameter in all male infants aged 1-238 days was 11.06 mm (SD 0.75 mm, n = 187), slightly higher than 10.93 mm (SD 0.22 mm, n = 154) in all females, though this difference was not statistically significant. Horizontal corneal diameter increased progressively with age, from a mean value (SD) of 10.26 mm (0.72) to a mean value (SD) of 12.0 mm at 34 weeks of age. There was no significant difference in the mean corneal diameter of the right and left cornea. A few infants had corneal diameters of 12.50 mm and had no congenital glaucoma. Mean corneal diameter in preterm infants less than 37 weeks of gestation was 8.90 mm at birth (SD 1.25 mm, n = 25).

The horizontal diameter increased with age from birth to the 34 weeks of age. Changes after this period were not studied. The values obtained in these African infants were slightly higher than those reported from other populations.