[Changes in neonatal care : Implications for ophthalmological care]

Preterm infants are at risk of characteristic, sometimes life-threatening diseases and development of deficits related to immaturity. In the field of ophthalmology, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and vision impairment reflect structural and functional disturbances in this large group of patients. In high income countries, more and more very immature preterm infants survive into adolescence and adulthood.

To characterize the impact of an increasing number of surviving individuals born preterm on the provision of ophthalmological care in Germany.

A literature search and analysis of key figures and quality indicators published in national health registers were carried out.

Currently, about 60,000 preterm infants are born in Germany every year. Of these, approximately 3600 extremely immature preterm infants with a gestational age < 28 weeks are treated with a curative approach on neonatal units. The survival rate is around 80%. A rise in the proportion of infants suffering from severe ROP has not been observed in recent years in Germany. The incidences of other structural and functional visual impairments vary between 3% and 25% in high income countries.

The incidence of ROP apparently has not increased in Germany. However, specific peculiarities of the structure and function of the visual system of individuals born preterm have to be taken into account. Approximately 70,000 outpatient check-ups of infants and toddlers, who require both, ophthalmological and developmental neurological expertise, are estimated for Germany each year.