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Impact of Retinopathy of Prematurity on Visual Motor Integration
Daniel Lukas Zimmermann1, Hannah Schned1, Lukas Unterasinger1
1Division of Neonatology, Paediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Comprehensive Centre for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) negatively impacts visual motor integration (VMI) in preschool children. Infants with ROP, especially stages 2 and 3, showed lower VMI scores, highlighting the condition's long-term effects.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Preterm infants face neurodevelopmental risks.
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is linked to cognitive deficits.
- The effect of ROP on visual motor integration (VMI) in early childhood is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of ROP on VMI in preschool-aged children.
- To assess VMI using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery VMI).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of preterm infants (born <30 weeks gestation or <1500g) between 2009-2014.
- VMI assessed at age 5 years using the Beery VMI.
- Comparison of VMI scores between infants with and without ROP, including ROP severity.
Main Results:
- 353 preterm infants met inclusion criteria; 137 had ROP.
- Infants with ROP had significantly lower mean Beery VMI scores (90 ± 16) than those without ROP (99 ± 14).
- ROP significantly impacted VMI scores, particularly stages 2 and 3, even after adjusting for other medical conditions.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants with ROP, especially stages 2 and 3, exhibit significantly lower VMI scores.
- ROP has a demonstrable negative impact on VMI skills in preschool-aged children.
- Findings underscore the importance of monitoring VMI in preterm infants with ROP.
Background:
Preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental deficits. An association between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and impaired cognitive outcome has already been described. However, less is known about the impact of ROP on visual motor integration (VMI), which is a prerequisite not only for fine motor abilities but also for further school skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the impact of ROP on VMI at preschool age.
Methods:
The study was conducted at the Medical University of Vienna, including patients born between January 2009 and December 2014 with a gestational age of less than 30 weeks and/or a birth weight of less than 1,500 g. VMI was determined by Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery VMI) at the age of 5 years.
Results:
Out of 1,365 patients, 353 met inclusion criteria for this study. Two hundred sixteen of them had no ROP, while 137 had ROP (stage 1: n = 23, stage 2: n = 74, stage 3: n = 40). Mean value of the Beery VMI score was significantly lower in the ROP group compared to the No-ROP group (90 ± 16 vs. 99 ± 14; p < 0.01). By correcting for other important medical conditions, ROP still had a significant impact on Beery VMI score (p < 0.01). Particularly, lower scores were found for stage 2 (p < 0.01) and stage 3 (p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Beery VMI scores were significantly lower in preterm infants with ROP stage 2 and 3 than in infants without ROP. This study shows the negative impact of ROP on VMI skills at preschool age, even after adjustment for key demographic and medical characteristics.
