Tear osmolarity in premature infants

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neonatology
• Pediatric Research

Background:

• Premature infants often undergo screening for retinopathy of prematurity.
• Assessing ocular surface health in neonates is crucial for long-term visual outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure tear osmolarity in premature infants.
• To evaluate changes in tear osmolarity with increasing post-conceptional age.
• To compare tear osmolarity in preterm infants to adult diagnostic cut-offs for dry eye disease.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of infants born before 37 weeks gestational age.
• Serial tear osmolarity measurements at preterm, term, and 3 months post-term.
• Calculation of mean osmolarity and percentage of infants exceeding specific thresholds (308 and 316 mOsm/L).

Main Results:

• Mean tear osmolarity was 296 ± 19.1 mOsm/L (preterm), 302.8 ± 18 mOsm/L (term), and 301.1 ± 20.9 mOsm/L (post-term).
• No significant change in tear osmolarity was observed with increasing maturity (P = .59).
• 32% of infants had tear osmolarity > 308 mOsm/L, and 16% had values > 316 mOsm/L.

Conclusions:

• Mean tear osmolarity in premature infants is within the normal adult range.
• Tear osmolarity does not significantly change from preterm to post-term in this cohort.
• Most premature infants do not meet the criteria for dry eye disease based on tear osmolarity.