Visual defects in children of low birthweight.
The prevalence of visual defects at ages 7 to 9 in 1485 children of birthweight 2000 g or less is reported. These children were born in 1970, 1971, and 1973 to parents resident in what is now the South East Thames Regional Health Authority area, and comprise 73.9% of all survivors of births of this weight, 81% of those whose present address is known. Only 16 (1%) children were reported to have serious visual defects; 5 had retrolental fibroplasia. For the children attending normal schools there was a significant excess of both mild and more severe visual defects compared with matched controls. A distant visual acuity of 6/6 was reported in the better eye of 89%, and in both eyes of 83% of the low birthweight group.
D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity