Gerd E Holmström1, Karin Källen2, Ann Hellström3, Peter G Jakobsson4, Fredrik Serenius5, Karin Stjernqvist6, Kristina Tornqvist7. 1. Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. 2. Centre of Reproductive Epidemiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 3. Section of Pediatric Ophthalmology, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 4. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. 5. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Section for Pediatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden6Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 6. Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 7. Department of Ophthalmology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Follow-up at 30 months' corrected age reveals eye and visual problems in one-third of children born extremely prematurely (<27 weeks' gestation). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ophthalmologic outcome of extremely preterm children at 30 months' corrected age. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective, population-based follow-up study (Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study [EXPRESS]) was conducted in Sweden. The population included extremely preterm infants (<27 weeks' gestation) born in Sweden between 2004 and 2007, of whom 491 survived until age 2.5 years. Screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was performed in the neonatal period. At 30 months' corrected age, an ophthalmologic assessment was performed in 411 of 491 children (83.7%). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Visual acuity, manifest strabismus, and refractive errors were evaluated. RESULTS: Visual impairment was identified in 3.1% of the children, and 1.0% were blind. Refractive errors, defined as myopia less than -3 diopters (D), hypermetropia greater than +3 D, astigmatism 2 D or more, and/or anisometropia 2 D or more, were found in 25.6% of the children, and 14.1% had manifest strabismus. There were significant associations between visual impairment and treated ROP (P = .02), cognitive disability (P < .001), and birth weight (P = .02). Multiple regression analyses revealed significant associations between strabismus and treated ROP (P < .001), cognitive disability (P < .01), and cerebral palsy (P = .02). Refractive errors were significantly correlated with severity of ROP (right eye, P < .001; left eye, P < .01). Children who had been treated for ROP had the highest frequency (69.0%) of eye and visual abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: One-third of the extremely prematurely born children in this study had some kind of eye or visual problems, such as visual impairment, strabismus, or major refractive error. Despite being born extremely preterm, the present cohort has a similar prevalence of blindness and visual impairment as in previous Swedish cohorts of children born less prematurely.
IMPORTANCE: Follow-up at 30 months' corrected age reveals eye and visual problems in one-third of children born extremely prematurely (<27 weeks' gestation). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ophthalmologic outcome of extremely preterm children at 30 months' corrected age. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective, population-based follow-up study (Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study [EXPRESS]) was conducted in Sweden. The population included extremely preterm infants (<27 weeks' gestation) born in Sweden between 2004 and 2007, of whom 491 survived until age 2.5 years. Screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was performed in the neonatal period. At 30 months' corrected age, an ophthalmologic assessment was performed in 411 of 491 children (83.7%). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Visual acuity, manifest strabismus, and refractive errors were evaluated. RESULTS:Visual impairment was identified in 3.1% of the children, and 1.0% were blind. Refractive errors, defined as myopia less than -3 diopters (D), hypermetropia greater than +3 D, astigmatism 2 D or more, and/or anisometropia 2 D or more, were found in 25.6% of the children, and 14.1% had manifest strabismus. There were significant associations between visual impairment and treated ROP (P = .02), cognitive disability (P < .001), and birth weight (P = .02). Multiple regression analyses revealed significant associations between strabismus and treated ROP (P < .001), cognitive disability (P < .01), and cerebral palsy (P = .02). Refractive errors were significantly correlated with severity of ROP (right eye, P < .001; left eye, P < .01). Children who had been treated for ROP had the highest frequency (69.0%) of eye and visual abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: One-third of the extremely prematurely born children in this study had some kind of eye or visual problems, such as visual impairment, strabismus, or major refractive error. Despite being born extremely preterm, the present cohort has a similar prevalence of blindness and visual impairment as in previous Swedish cohorts of children born less prematurely.
Authors: Anna E C Molnar; Sten O Andréasson; Eva K B Larsson; Hanna M Åkerblom; Gerd E Holmström Journal: JAMA Ophthalmol Date: 2017-08-01 Impact factor: 7.389
Authors: Mari Holm; Michael E Msall; Jon Skranes; Olaf Dammann; Elizabeth Allred; Alan Leviton Journal: Eur J Paediatr Neurol Date: 2014-10-12 Impact factor: 3.140
Authors: Jane E Brumbaugh; Edward F Bell; Shawn C Hirsch; Emma G Crenshaw; Sara B DeMauro; Ira S Adams-Chapman; Jean R Lowe; Girija Natarajan; Myra H Wyckoff; Betty R Vohr; Tarah T Colaizy; Heidi M Harmon; Kristi L Watterberg; Susan R Hintz Journal: Pediatr Res Date: 2021-10-22 Impact factor: 3.756
Authors: Achim Fieß; Katrin Greven; Eva Mildenberger; Michael S Urschitz; Heike M Elflein; Fred Zepp; Bernhard Stoffelns; Norbert Pfeiffer; Alexander K Schuster Journal: Eye (Lond) Date: 2022-09-15 Impact factor: 4.456
Authors: Frouke N Boonstra; Daniëlle G M Bosch; Christiaan J A Geldof; Catharina Stellingwerf; Giorgio Porro Journal: Front Hum Neurosci Date: 2022-06-30 Impact factor: 3.473