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[Occurrence of refractive errors in relation to retinopathy of prematurity]
1Ocní Klinika LF UP, Olomouc.
Insights
Premature birth is linked to higher rates of refractive errors and strabismus in children, even those with treated retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This suggests prematurity itself may contribute to developing eye conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Context:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant concern in premature infants.
- Understanding the long-term ophthalmic outcomes of prematurity is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose:
- To investigate the prevalence of refractive errors and strabismus in premature infants with and without ROP.
- To compare ophthalmic outcomes in premature infants to full-term infants.
Summary:
- Prematurely born children, particularly those with ROP or treated with cryoretinopexy, exhibit a statistically significant higher incidence of ametropia (refractive errors) compared to full-term infants.
- Strabismus was also found to be more prevalent in premature infants.
- These findings suggest a strong correlation between prematurity and the development of ophthalmic pathology.
Impact:
- Highlights the increased risk of vision problems in premature infants.
- Underscores the need for comprehensive ophthalmic screening and management in this population.
- Informs clinical practice and future research on preventing and treating visual impairments in preterm neonates.
Abstract:
Results of the development of refractive errors in the group of prematurely born children with reversible ROP changes and those where cryoretinopexy due to ROP were done are presented. Ametropia was found higher (statistically significant with P = 0.05) in all the groups with prematurity comparing to the population of in-therm born children. The same result with regard to strabismus was found. Prematurity presumably leads to ophthalmic pathology.