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Long-term evaluation of refractive changes in eyes of preterm children: a 6-year follow-up study
Mahmut Kaya1, Ayse Tulin Berk2, Aylin Yaman1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, 35340, Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
Preterm children with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) experienced increased myopia by age 3. Both severe and mild/no ROP groups showed gradual increases in astigmatism and anisometropia over 6 years.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in preterm infants.
- Refractive errors are common in preterm children, but their longitudinal progression in relation to ROP severity is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal changes in refractive errors in preterm children up to 6 years of age.
- To compare refractive error development in preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Main Methods:
- Included 226 preterm infants (gestational age ≤34 weeks).
- Categorized participants into no ROP, mild ROP, and severe ROP groups.
- Collected longitudinal cycloplegic refraction data annually until 6 years of age.
Main Results:
- Severe ROP eyes showed significant myopia increase between 1 and 3 years (p=0.005).
- Mild/no ROP eyes had a non-significant trend of increasing myopia over 6 years (p=0.073).
- Both groups exhibited non-significant increases in astigmatism and anisometropia with age; severe ROP had higher values for all parameters.
Conclusions:
- Preterm children with severe ROP require close monitoring for refractive changes.
- Careful follow-up is also recommended for preterm children with mild/no ROP to detect potential refractive error progression.
Purpose:
To investigate the longitudinal changes in refractive errors in preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the first 6 years of life.
Methods:
We included 226 preterm children with a gestational age of ≤34 weeks: 222 eyes with no ROP, 73 eyes with mild ROP and 145 eyes with severe ROP. Longitudinal cycloplegic refraction data were collected initially and yearly thereafter until 6 years of age.
Results:
Eyes in the severe ROP group showed an increase in myopia values between the 1- and 3-year examinations (p = 0.005), with little change thereafter. However, the mild/no ROP group demonstrated a nonsignificant increasing myopia values throughout the 6-year follow-up (p = 0.073). Both the mild/no ROP and severe ROP groups were found to have increasing mean astigmatism values with increasing age, albeit nonsignificantly (p = 0.418, p = 0.384, respectively). Likewise, the stable mean values of anisometropia increased nonsignificantly during the first 6 years of life in both the mild/no ROP and severe ROP groups (p = 0.246, p = 0.073, respectively). Severe ROP group had higher values regarding myopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia parameters than the mild/no ROP group for all ages during the follow-up.
Conclusions:
Preterm children with severe ROP should be closely monitored, and also those with mild/no ROP should be carefully followed up for not overlooking possible increases in refractive conditions.
