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Published on: October 21, 2022
Corneal curvature and thickness development in premature infants
Silvana De Silva1, Fulvio Parentin, Paola Michieletto
1Department of Ophthalmology, I.R.C.C.S. Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Insights
Central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) decrease significantly after premature birth. These rapid changes impact anterior segment development and intraocular pressure (IOP) assessment in infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Premature infants exhibit unique physiological characteristics.
- Accurate assessment of ocular parameters is crucial for monitoring infant eye health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze postnatal changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) in premature infants.
- To investigate the relationship between CCT and CC.
- To determine the influence of these corneal changes on eye growth and intraocular pressure (IOP) evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) were measured in 56 premature infants (24-32 weeks gestational age).
- Measurements were taken multiple times between post-conceptional ages of 28 and 42 weeks.
Main Results:
- Corneal curvature (CC) decreased from 65.83 to 49.38 diopters between 28 and 42 weeks post-conceptional age.
- Central corneal thickness (CCT) decreased from 794 to 559 μm during the same period.
- These reductions appear correlated and commence shortly after birth.
Conclusions:
- Provides valuable data on CCT in premature infants, addressing a gap in current literature.
- Rapid postnatal variations in CCT and CC are significant for understanding anterior segment development.
- These corneal parameter changes critically affect the accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements in preterm infants, especially at earlier post-conceptional ages.
Purpose:
Analysis of postnatal changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) in premature infants, their relation, and their possible influence on eye growth and intraocular pressure (IOP) evaluation.
Methods:
CCT and CC were assessed in both eyes of 56 premature infants, born at 24 to 32 weeks of gestational age (GA), and then two or three times at post-conceptional ages (PCAs) of 28 to 42 weeks.
Results:
CC changed from 65.83 diopters at 28 weeks of PCA to 49.38 diopters at 42 weeks of PCA. CCT decreased from 794 to 559 μm at the same ages. The reductions of these two corneal parameters seem to be related to each other and begin immediately after birth.
Conclusion:
In light of the few data available in the literature, these data provide more certainty about the CCT values of premature infants. The importance of CCT and CC fast variations after premature birth concerns both the knowledge of anterior segment development and the correct evaluation of IOP in immature eyes; the influence of these two parameters on the methods of IOP evaluation could be more remarkable at the lowest PCAs.
