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Choroidal thickness in relation to birth parameters in 11- to 12-year-old children: the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000
1Department of Ophthalmology, Glostrup Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Children with lower birth weight and length, or small for gestational age, had thinner choroids. These findings highlight early life factors influencing ocular development in children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Choroidal thickness is a key indicator of ocular health.
- Birth parameters may influence early ocular development.
- Understanding these associations can inform preventative eye care strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between birth parameters and choroidal thickness in children.
- To identify early life risk factors for altered choroidal development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) in a population-based cohort of 1406 children aged 11-12 years.
- Collected data on ocular biometry, anthropometrics, refraction, and pubertal status.
- Obtained birth parameters from the Danish Medical Birth Registry.
Main Results:
- Lower birth weight (<2500g) was significantly associated with thinner subfoveal choroid (-37 μm, P=0.001).
- Children small for gestational age exhibited thinner subfoveal choroids (P=0.04).
- Longer birth length correlated with thicker subfoveal choroid (2 μm/cm, P=0.005).
Conclusions:
- Thinner choroids in children are linked to lower birth weight, reduced birth length, and being small for gestational age.
- These findings suggest that early life conditions impact choroidal development.
- Early identification of at-risk children may aid in monitoring and managing potential ocular conditions.
Purpose:
To examine choroidal thickness in a population-based child cohort in relation to birth parameters.
Methods:
The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 Eye Study examined 1406 children aged 11 to 12 years using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), ocular biometry and measurement of height, weight, refraction, and self-reported pubertal development status. Birth parameters were obtained from the Danish Medical Birth Registry.
Results:
The subfoveal choroid in low birth weight children (<2500 g, n = 51, mean 324 ± 76 μm) was thinner than in normal birth weight children (2500-4500 g, n = 1194, mean 361 ± 78 μm), the difference being -37 (CI95 -60 to -15) μm, P = 0.001 after adjusting for age, sex, height, Tanner stage by sex, axial length, anterior chamber depth, and spherical equivalent refractive error. The subfoveal choroid in high birth weight children (>4500 g, n = 48, mean 351 ± 63 μm) was comparable with normal birth weight children, P = 0.44. The subfoveal choroid was thinner in preterm children, however the difference was not significant (-18 [-37 to 2] μm, P = 0.08). Small for gestation children had thinner subfoveal choroid (-19 [-37 to -1] μm, P = 0.04) compared with appropriate for gestation children. Longer birth length was associated with a thicker subfoveal choroid (2 [1-4] μm/cm, P = 0.005). Macular choroidal thickness at 16 extrafoveal locations was measured in a subset of children and found to have the same associations with birth weight as the subfoveal choroidal thickness.
Conclusions:
In 11- to 12-year-old children, thinner choroids were associated with lower birth weight, lower birth length, and being small for the gestational age.