Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2025
Subjective Refraction Test Using a Smartphone for Vision Screening
Published on: October 18, 2024
Birth weight and refractive state measured by Spot Vision Screener in children aged 40 months
Shunya Tatara1,2, Masako Ishii1, Reiko Nogami3
1Department of Orthoptics and Visual Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
Insights
Birth weight did not influence refractive state in 40-month-old children. This study found no significant association between birth weight and spherical equivalent (SE) or anisometropia in young children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Refractive errors like myopia are common in children, sometimes linked to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
- While birth weight and refractive state are related in newborns, this association typically diminishes with age.
- Understanding factors influencing refractive development in early childhood is crucial for eye health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight and refractive state in children at 40 months of age.
- To determine if birth weight influences spherical equivalent (SE) and anisometropia in toddlers.
- To extend previous findings on birth weight and refraction into later infancy.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study analyzed 411 Japanese children aged 40 months with available birth weight data.
- Non-cycloplegic refraction was measured using a Spot Vision Screener.
- Children were grouped by birth weight (low, normal, high), and spherical equivalent (SE) differences were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The average spherical equivalent (SE) for the right eye was 0.34 D.
- No significant correlation was found between birth weight and SE (r=-0.015, p=0.765) or anisometropia (r=-0.05, p=0.355).
- Mean SE did not significantly differ across low, normal, and high birth weight groups (p=0.939).
Conclusions:
- Birth weight does not appear to influence refractive state, including SE and anisometropia, at approximately 40 months of age.
- The findings suggest that other factors may play a more significant role in determining refractive outcomes in early childhood.
- This study provides evidence against a lasting impact of birth weight on refractive status in toddlers.
Objectives:
Children with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) often have myopia. Even without ROP, birth weight and refractive state are related immediately after birth, but this relationship is reduced with increasing age. Here, we examined whether refractive state and birth weight were associated in 40-month-old children.
Methods And Analysis:
Of 541 children aged 40 months in Tsubame City, Japan, who underwent a medical examination between April 2018 and March 2019, this cross-sectional study enrolled 411 whose birth weights were available (76% of all).We measured the non-cycloplegic refraction using a Spot Vision Screener and correlated this with birth weight. Children were divided into three groups according to normal (2500-3500 g), high (>3500 g) or low (<2500 g) birth weights, and mean differences in spherical equivalent (SE) between the groups were analysed.
Results:
The average SE for the right eye was 0.34 D (95% CI 0.28 to 0.40). Average birth weight was 3032.1 g (95% CI 2990.2 to 3073.9). Birth weight did not correlate with SE for the right eye (Pearson's correlation, r=-0.015, p=0.765) or with the degree of anisometropia (Pearson's correlation, r=-0.05, p=0.355). Furthermore, the mean SE showed no significant difference across the three groups of children with different birth weights (one-way analysis of variance, p=0.939).
Conclusion:
Data on refractive states and birth weight for 411 children of similar age in one Japanese city were analysed, showing that birth weight did not influence SE, J0, J45 and the absolute degree of anisometropia at about 40 months of age.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Focusing of Light in the Eye
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways