title: Development of smooth pursuit eye movements in very preterm infants: 1. General aspects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate early oculo-motor development in a population-based cohort of very preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Early oculo-motor development was prospectively studied by measuring smooth pursuit eye movements at 2 and 4 months corrected age in a population of very preterm infants born in Uppsala County 2004-2007. Eighty-one preterm infants were studied, and 32 healthy term infants constituted the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group consisted of infants with a mean gestational age of 28 + 5 weeks. At 2 and 4 months corrected age, infants born very preterm showed lower gain (p < 0.001) and proportion of smooth pursuit eye movements (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. The boys showed higher gain of smooth pursuit eye movements at both 2 and 4 months corrected age, compared to girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oculo-motor development measured by smooth pursuit eye movements is delayed in very preterm infants at 2 and 4 months corrected age. This might be a risk factor or early indicator of later perceptual and behavioural impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala university, Uppsala, Sweden. katarina.strand-brodd@kbh.uu.se
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strand-Brodd
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ewald
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grönqvist
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmström
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strömberg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grönqvist
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Hofsten
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosander
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors