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Follow-up study on premature infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity
1Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Insights
Premature infants often experience ocular complications like strabismus and myopia. Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) significantly increases the risk of vision loss in these vulnerable infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Premature infants face a higher risk of ocular complications.
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant concern in neonatal eye care.
- Increased survival rates of premature infants necessitate understanding long-term visual outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report ocular complications in premature infants.
- To compare the incidence of strabismus and myopia in infants with and without ROP.
- To assess the relationship between ROP severity and visual loss.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of ocular complications in 131 premature infants.
- Categorization of infants based on the presence and stage of ROP.
- Documentation of strabismus, myopia, and visual loss incidence.
Main Results:
- Increased incidence of strabismus (20% with ROP, 25% without ROP) and myopia (27.5% with ROP, 8.8% without ROP).
- Significant visual loss occurred in 10.7% overall.
- Visual loss increased to 35% with stage 3 ROP and 100% with stage 4 ROP.
Conclusions:
- Ocular complications, including strabismus and myopia, are prevalent in premature infants.
- ROP is a critical factor associated with higher rates of these complications and severe visual impairment.
- Findings highlight the importance of ongoing ophthalmic surveillance and management for premature infants, particularly those with ROP.
Abstract:
The ocular complications in population of 131 premature infants, with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are reported. An increased incidence of strabismus (20% with ROP and 25% without ROP) and myopia (27.5% with ROP and 8.8% without ROP) was shown. Significant visual loss occurred in 10.7% overall, increasing to 35% with stage 3 disease and 100% with stage 4. With the increased survival rate of premature infants, the relevance to future management of this expanding group of young people is considered.