title: Long-term refractive status of preterm infants from singleton and multiple pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of plurality on refractive status in former preterm infants at age 8-12 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Refraction was compared in singletons and multiples, in very low birth weight infants (VLBW, <1500 g) at age 6 months and 8-12 years. Preterm infants were compared with a group of term infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven of 104 (36%) VLBW infants were multiples. Comparison of refraction between singletons and multiples revealed no difference at age 6 months, while at age 8-12 years, multiples had significantly more refractive errors (singletons 28% versus multiples 54% p = 0.01), particularly myopia. In preterms, refractive status at age 6 months and multiple birth were significant predictors of refraction at 8-12 years, while birth weight (BW) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were not predictive. Refractive errors were significantly more common in preterms (37%) than in term-born children (14%) (p = 0.0002). Overall, refraction moved from predominantly hyperopic at 6 months to normal or myopic at age 8-12 years in preterm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple gestation in preterms is associated with increased risk for refractive errors, particularly myopia in childhood. Refraction in preterms during childhood progresses from hyperopia to myopia. Former preterms have more refractive errors than children born at term-born children.
authors.affiliation: a The Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel.|d Department of Ophthalmology , Kaplan Medical Center , Rehovot , Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neonatology , Ziv Medical Center , Tsfat , Israel.|c Faculty of Medicine in the Galil , Bar-Ilan University , Israel , and.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Shinwell
authors.affiliation: a The Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel.|d Department of Ophthalmology , Kaplan Medical Center , Rehovot , Israel.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leiba
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Multiple; myopia; preterm; refraction; singleton