Refractive error in premature infants.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and the degree of refractive error between the ages of 2 weeks and 6 months in premature infants without retinopathy of prematurity and to seek a correlation between refractive error and age at examination, birth weight, or gestational age.


METHODS
In this observational cross-sectional study, eye refraction in 390 premature infants, with no ocular pathology, was measured by cycloplegic retinoscopy at the age of 2 weeks to 6 months. A correlation was sought between refractive error and perinatal variables.


RESULTS
Of the 390 infants reviewed, 347 (89%) had a refractive error and 43 (11%) were emmetropic in both eyes. Most of the infants were hyperopic (76.8%). Myopia was observed in only 11.9%. Astigmatism was found in 24.4% of the infants. The mean age at examination was 2.1 +/- 1 months; the mean birth weight was 1639 +/- 444 g, and the mean gestational age at birth was 32.2 +/- 2.4 weeks. The mean spherical equivalent of refraction was +1.56 +/- 1.82 diopters (D) in the right eye and +1.55 +/- 1.78 D in the left eye. Refractive error was positively correlated with age at examination ( R = 0.16, P = 0.001). The mean refractive error was +1.24 D in infants aged 1 month or less and reached +2.50 D at the age of 4 to 6 months. Refractive error was not correlated with birth weight or gestational age.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of refractive error in premature infants without retinopathy of prematurity in the first 6 months of life may be as high as 89%. Most of these infants are hyperopic. Eye refraction is correlated with age at examination, but not with birth weight or gestational age.
Ton
Yokrat
Y
Sapir Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Meir Hospital, Kefar Sava, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. barakton@013.net.il
Wysenbeek
Yigal S
YS
Spierer
Abraham
A
D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity