Lina Raffa
King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Title: Visual function, ocular morphology and growth – Children born moderate-to-late preterm
Biography
Biography: Lina Raffa
Abstract
In the past, researchers have closely studied both systemic and Ophthalmological complications associated with extreme preterm birth. Moderate-to-Late Preterm (MLP) infants have become the fastest-growing subgroup of preterm infants in the last decade. To date, very few studies have focused on the ophthalmological aspects of this particular subset of MLP children. The aim of our project was to investigate the development of ocular morphology and visual function in children born MLP. In a prospective population based study conducted in 2002-2004, 247 potentially eligible children (110 girls and 137 boys) born MLP [Gestational Age (GA) 32-36 weeks] participated in the neonatal study. None of the participating children had a previous history of ROP. At 5.5, 8, 10 and 12 years of age, 78, 50, 33 and 22 children, respectively who were still included in the study took part in sub-studies that focused on orthoptic evaluation, ocular morphology, visual function and electrophysiology in both MLP and sex and age-matched controls. Based on our fi ndings, being born MLP is associated with increased ocular morbidity and may require greater ophthalmic surveillance than full-term counterparts. Auxological data at birth, especially birth weight, seems to be an important risk indicator when establishing an ophthalmological diagnosis in preschool MLP children, and visual acuity outcome was positively correlated to GA. Good catch-up growth favoured proper development of ocular growth and morphology. Our results show that fundus morphology, Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) and full-fi eld Electroretinography (ff -ERG) responses are also aff ected in the MLP group.