Visual function in adults born preterm with very low birth weight-A two-country birth cohort study
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Published on: October 24, 2019
Maarit Kulmala1,2, Anna Perregaard Munch Jørgensen3, Kristina Anna Djupvik Aakvik4
1Population Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Adults born very preterm with low birth weight have lifelong visual impairments and poorer vision-related health. These findings highlight the long-term impact of prematurity on visual function into adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Preterm birth and very low birth weight (VLBW) are associated with various health issues.
- Long-term visual outcomes in adults born preterm with VLBW require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate visual function and vision-targeted general health in adults aged 30s-40s born preterm with VLBW.
- To compare visual parameters between VLBW adults and term-born controls.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 137 VLBW adults and 158 term-born controls (aged 31-43 years) from Finnish and Norwegian birth cohorts.
- Assessed refraction, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, visual fields, intraocular pressure (IOP), and self-reported vision health (NEI VFQ-25).
Main Results:
- VLBW adults exhibited significantly lower BCVA scores in both better and worse eyes compared to controls.
- Lower contrast sensitivity and poorer self-reported vision-targeted health status were observed in VLBW adults.
- Refraction, visual fields, and IOP were comparable between groups; two VLBW participants were blind.
Conclusions:
- Lower visual function and vision-related health appear to be lifelong consequences of prematurity and VLBW.
- The study suggests persistent visual deficits in adults born preterm with VLBW.
- Underlying mechanisms for these long-term visual impairments warrant further research.
Purpose:
The purpose of the study was to investigate visual function and vision-related general health in adults that were born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW: birth weight < 1500 g) in their 30s-40s.
Methods:
We recruited 137 adults born preterm with VLBW and 158 term-born controls aged 31-43 years from two birth cohorts: the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults (Finland) and the NTNU Low Birth Weight in a Lifetime Perspective study (Norway). We used neonatal data and measured refraction, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart, contrast sensitivity, visual fields, intraocular pressure (IOP), self-reported vision-targeted health status with the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25.
Results:
VLBW adults had a lower BCVA ETDRS score than controls: mean (SD) better eye 86.7 (13.4) versus 90.2 (4.4), p = 0.02; mean (SD) worse eye 82.3 (14.9) versus 87.6 (4.6), p = 0.003. VLBW adults also had lower contrast sensitivity thresholds in several spatial frequencies and scored lower than controls in eight out of the 12 subscales of self-reported vision-targeted health status. Refraction, visual fields and IOP were similar between groups. Two VLBW participants were blind. None had been treated for retinopathy of prematurity.
Conclusion:
We suggest that lower visual function and vision-related health represent life-long consequences of prematurity and VLBW in the studied 31- to 43-year-old cohort. The underlying mechanisms remain to be determined.
