Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
Monitoring Dynamic Growth of Retinal Vessels in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Mouse Model
Published on: April 2, 2021
Retinal microvascular changes in low-birth-weight babies have a link to future health
Yogavijayan Kandasamy1, Roger Smith, Ian M R Wright
1Department of Neonatology, The Townsville Hospital, Queensland 4814, Australia. Yoga_Kandasamy@health.qld.gov.au
Insights
Low-birth-weight (LBW) infants may experience abnormal microvascular changes, potentially linked to adult vascular diseases. Retinal imaging shows promise for objective measurement, but non-invasive infant assessment is needed.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- In utero insults leading to low-birth-weight (LBW) are linked to adult vascular diseases.
- Microcirculatory pathologies are hypothesized as the mechanistic link between fetal insults and adult disease manifestation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if low-birth-weight (LBW) individuals exhibit abnormal microvascular changes.
- To assess if retinal vessels can objectively identify and measure these microvascular changes in vivo.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted for articles published between 1980 and 2011.
- Keywords included: retinal microvasculature, retinal vessels, small for gestational age, growth restriction, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Main Results:
- Retinal imaging technology is capable of assessing and measuring the retinal microvasculature.
- Current retinal imaging tools are not suitable for non-invasive assessment in infants and young children.
Conclusions:
- Retinal imaging is a valuable tool for assessing microvascular changes.
- Further development is needed for non-invasive infant assessment.
- Longitudinal studies are required to confirm the link between LBW and adult cardiovascular disease.
Background:
In utero insults that result in low-birth-weight (LBW) infants are now recognized risk factors for the development of vascular-related diseases in adulthood. Microcirculatory pathologies are believed to form a mechanistic link between fetal insult and the manifestation of illness in adulthood.
Objectives:
The challenge has been to investigate microcirculatory changes in vivo. The objective of this review is to determine whether LBW infants and individuals undergo abnormal microvascular changes and, if so, whether these changes can be objectively identified and measured by investigating retinal vessels.
Methods:
An online publication search was carried out using the following keywords to identify and review relevant articles: retinal microvasculature, retinal vessels, small for gestation age, growth restriction, and intrauterine growth restriction. Articles published from 1980 to 2011 were considered.
Conclusions:
The ability of retinal imaging technology to assess and measure retinal microvasculature makes it a valuable assessment tool. The current tool is, however, unsuitable for non-invasive assessment in infants and young children. Once this hurdle has been overcome, a longitudinal study of LBW individuals from infancy to adulthood, with regular retinal microvascular assessments, would help prove the mechanistic link between LBW and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
