Findings of ocular examinations in healthy full-term newborns

To assess the anterior and posterior segments of full-term neonates over a 1.5-year period.

The findings of full-term neonates who underwent ophthalmological examinations between June 2019 and December 2020 were analyzed, and the results were retrospectively recorded.

The study comprised 2972 neonates with a mean birth week of 38.7 ± 1.2 weeks and a mean birth weight of 3235 ± 464 g. The neonates were examined on an average of 49.3 ± 18.9 postnatal days. Of the examined neonates, 185 (6.2%) showed abnormal ophthalmological findings, the most prevalent of which were retinal hemorrhage in 2.3% (n=68) and white changes in the peripheral retina in 1.9% (n=55) of the neonates. Cases of optic disc pathologies (n=20), choroidal nevus (n=10), iris-choroidal coloboma (n=5), subconjunctival hemorrhage (n=6), non-specific retinal pigmentary change (n=4), congenital cataract (n=3), posterior synechia (n=3), iris nevus (n=3), corneal opacity (n=1), choroidal coloboma (n=1), iris coloboma (n=1), buphthalmos (n=1), anophthalmos (n=1), microphthalmia (n=1), lid hemangioma (n=1), and vitreous hemorrhage (n=1) collectively accounted for approximately 2% of all neonates. Pathologies that could potentially impair vision, which were detected by ophthalmological examination, accounted for 1.2% of all neonates (n=37).

The most prevalent finding of the ophthalmological examinations of neonates in the present study was retinal hemorrhage. Ophthalmological examinations of neonates can help in identifying diseases that may affect their vision and are curable or may lead to amblyopia in the long term.