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Fixation and saccadic performance throughout childhood in children born preterm: A multicenter eye-tracking study
Marina Vilella1,2, Diego Gutiérrez3, David Solanas4
1DIVE Medical S.L., San Sebastián, Spain. vilella.mv@gmail.com.
Insights
Children born preterm often have lasting deficits in eye movement control, including unstable fixations and slower saccadic reaction times. Early detection and intervention are crucial for supporting their visual and neurological development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric ophthalmology
- Developmental neuroscience
- Visual development
Background:
- Preterm birth can impact visual and oculomotor system maturation.
- Long-term effects of early birth on children's eye movement control are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of preterm birth on fixation and saccadic eye movement performance throughout childhood.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter cohort study of 1506 children (502 preterm, 1004 full-term) aged 6 months to 12 years.
- Utilized the DIVE system for precise measurements of fixation stability, fixation duration, saccadic reaction time, and accuracy.
- Employed logistic regression, adjusting for gestational age and visual pathologies, to assess the association between preterm birth and oculomotor control deficits.
Main Results:
- Preterm children exhibited significantly more unstable fixations and slower saccadic reaction times compared to full-term children across all age groups.
- Oculomotor deficits were more prevalent in preterm children (36.5% vs. 23.3%), with significantly higher odds of impairment (OR = 1.89).
- These oculomotor differences were evident from infancy and persisted through middle childhood, despite age-related improvements in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth is associated with persistent oculomotor control deficits, affecting fixation stability and saccadic reaction time from infancy into middle childhood.
- These findings highlight the importance of early identification and targeted interventions for visual and neurological development in preterm infants.
- Eye-tracking technology offers a sensitive and reproducible method for detecting oculomotor dysfunction in pediatric populations, aiding early intervention strategies.
Background:
Children born preterm may experience alterations in the maturation of visual and oculomotor systems, but the long-term consequences on eye movement control throughout children's development are not well established. Our study examined how early birth influences fixation and saccadic performance during childhood.
Methods:
We assessed a cross-sectional, multicenter cohort of 1506 children (502 preterm, 1004 full-term) aged 6 months to 12 years using the DIVE system, which provides precise measures of fixation stability, fixation duration, saccadic reaction time, and accuracy. We used logistic regression models to estimate the association between preterm birth and oculomotor control deficits, adjusting for gestational age and visual pathologies.
Results:
Preterm children showed significantly more unstable fixations and slower saccadic reaction times than full-term peers across all age groups. Oculomotor deficits were more prevalent in preterm children (36.5% vs. 23.3%), with higher odds of impairment (OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.49-2.39, p < 0.001). These differences emerged in infancy and persisted through middle childhood despite age-related improvements in both groups.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that preterm birth may have lasting consequences for oculomotor control, underscoring the importance of early detection and targeted interventions to support visual and neurological development in preterm children.
Impact:
Children born preterm show persistent deficits in fixation stability and saccadic reaction time from infancy through middle childhood. These differences persist even after adjusting for visual pathology, gestational age, and sex. Eye-tracking provides a sensitive, reproducible approach to detect oculomotor dysfunction in pediatric populations. This study offers the largest age-matched assessment of oculomotor control across development in preterm and full-term children using a single standardized system. Integrating such assessments into routine pediatric care may enhance early intervention strategies and improve developmental outcomes for children born preterm.
