title: Cortical visual function in preterm infants in the first year.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess visual function in low-risk preterm infants at 3, 5, and 12 months corrected age to determine whether the maturation of visual function in the first year is similar to that reported in term-born infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five low-risk infants (25.0-30.9 weeks gestation) underwent ophthalmological examinations and a battery of tests (fix and follow, visual fields, acuity, attention at distance, and fixation shift) designed to assess various aspects of visual function at 3, 5, and 12 months corrected age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results were comparable with normative data from term-born infants in all tests but fixation shift, suggesting that maturation of most aspects of visual function is not significantly affected by preterm birth. In contrast, >25% of preterm infants failed the fixation shift test at 3 months, with a higher percentage of failing at 5 and 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a specific profile of early visual behavior in low-risk preterm infants, with a high percentage of infants failing a test that specifically assesses visual attention and provides a measure of cortical processing.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Neurology Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cesarini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serrao
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baranello
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cota
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pane
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brogna
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Rose
authors.forename: Gessica
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vasco
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Staccioli
authors.forename: Domenico M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tinelli
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molle
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lepore
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldascino
authors.forename: Luca A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ramenghi
authors.forename: Maria Giulia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Torrioli
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cioni
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mercuri
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*