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The gaze characteristics in preterm children: The appropriate timing for an eye-tracking tool
Soichi Yamase1, Wakako Ishii1, Nobuhiko Nagano1
1Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Eye-tracking tools can screen for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. For preterm infants, Gazefinder® screening is most reliable starting at 13 months corrected age, especially for those with chronic lung disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening often uses eye-tracking tools to analyze gaze patterns.
- These tools are typically applied to full-term infants, necessitating research into their use with preterm populations.
- Understanding optimal timing and influencing factors for eye-tracking in preterm infants is crucial for early ASD risk detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the appropriate age for using eye-tracking tools (Gazefinder®) in preterm children for ASD risk assessment.
- To identify factors influencing the timing of effective eye-tracking assessment in preterm infants.
- To evaluate the gaze characteristics of preterm children using Gazefinder®.
Main Methods:
- 90 preterm children underwent 125 eye-tracking tasks using Gazefinder® at corrected ages of 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-18, and 19-32 months.
- Mean Fixation Percentage (MFP) was analyzed across corrected age groups to assess gaze patterns.
- Perinatal factors associated with low MFP were investigated.
Main Results:
- Only 50% of preterm infants achieved ≥70% MFP at 3-6 months corrected age.
- MFP significantly increased after 7 months corrected age, reaching 90% by 13-18 months and 100% by 19-32 months.
- Chronic lung disease (CLD) was linked to lower MFP; preterm infants showed gaze preference for eyes, shifting to mouths during movement.
Conclusions:
- Gazefinder® screening for preterm children should commence at a corrected age of at least 13 months, particularly for those with CLD.
- Preterm infants demonstrate a preference for social cues, similar to typically developing children.
- Early eye-tracking assessment in preterm infants requires careful consideration of corrected age and potential clinical complications like CLD.
Background:
An objective screening tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), also known as an eye-tracking tool, assesses the patient's abnormal gaze patterns and detects the risk of ASD. As this tool is generally used for children born at term, this study aimed to clarify the appropriate timing for using the tool for preterm children, factors that influence the timing, and evaluate their gaze characteristics using the Gazefinder®.
Method:
In 90 preterm children, a total of 125 eye-tracking tasks were completed and analyzed in 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-18, and 19-32 months of corrected age (CA). The Gazefinder® was used to compare the mean fixation time percentage (MFP) in each CA and evaluate the gaze patterns. Perinatal factors associated with low MFP were also analyzed.
Results:
Only 50% of the children scored ≥70% MFP at 3-6 months of CA. The MFP increased significantly after 7 months of CA (p = 0.0003), reached 90% at 13-18 months, and 100% at 19-32 months of CA. Chronic lung disease (CLD) was a clinical factor associated with low MFP (p = 0.036). Preterm children gazed more at eyes but gazed at mouths when the mouth moved.
Conclusion:
It is necessary for preterm children to begin using Gazefinder® atleast at ≥13 months of age, especially those complicated with CLD. Preterm children prefer gazing at social information just as typically developing children.
