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How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns
Published on: October 24, 2019
Visual performance in preterm infants with brain injuries compared with low-risk preterm infants
Merçè Leonhardt1, Maria Forns, Caterina Calderón
1NICU, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu 2, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain. sanleon@pangea.org
Insights
Preterm infants with brain injuries exhibit delayed visual functions, including alertness and attention, compared to healthy peers. Early screening and visual stimulation are crucial for these infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Developmental pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Neonatal brain injuries frequently cause visual deficits due to posterior visual pathway damage.
- Limited research exists on early-aged children with brain injuries and their visual function.
- Existing studies often focus on low-risk preterm infants or older children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate visual function in preterm infants with brain injuries.
- To compare visual function between preterm infants with and without brain injuries.
- To identify early signs of visual impairment in this population.
Main Methods:
- Study included 48 preterm infants with brain injuries and 56 low-risk preterm infants.
- Visual functions were assessed using the ML Leonhardt Battery of Optotypes.
- The test is validated for newborns and preterm infants.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants with brain lesions showed delayed visual functions (alertness, fixation, attention, tracking) compared to healthy controls.
- Observed differences in visual behaviors between groups were approximately 30%.
- These visual function deficits were identifiable within the first weeks of life.
Conclusions:
- A simple screening test is important for assessing visual function in preterm infants, particularly those with brain injuries.
- Early identification of altered visual function is critical.
- Prompt visual stimulation is recommended for infants with brain injuries.
Background:
Neonatal brain injuries are the main cause of visual deficit produced by damage to posterior visual pathways. While there are several studies of visual function in low-risk preterm infants or older children with brain injuries, research in children of early age is lacking.
Aim:
To assess several aspects of visual function in preterm infants with brain injuries and to compare them with another group of low-risk preterm infants of the same age.
Study Design And Subjects:
Forty-eight preterm infants with brain injuries and 56 low-risk preterm infants.
Outcome Measures:
The ML Leonhardt Battery of Optotypes was used to assess visual functions. This test was previously validated at a post-menstrual age of 40 weeks in newborns and at 30-plus weeks in preterm infants.
Results:
The group of preterm infants with brain lesions showed a delayed pattern of visual functions in alertness, fixation, visual attention and tracking behavior compared to infants in the healthy preterm group. The differences between both groups, in the visual behaviors analyzed were around 30%. These visual functions could be identified from the first weeks of life.
Conclusion:
Our results confirm the importance of using a straightforward screening test with preterm infants in order to assess altered visual function, especially in infants with brain injuries. The findings also highlight the need to provide visual stimulation very early on in life.
