Visual impairment in extremely preterm children is mainly due to Retinopathy Of Prematurity (ROP), although cerebral damage, often referred to as cerebral visual impairment, can also be a cause amongst those born extremely premature.
A study published in Archives of Ophthalmology shows that both cerebral damage and ROP seem to be independently linked to visual impairment amongst extremely premature born preschool children.
Carina Slidsborg, M.D., from Denmark’s Copenhagen University Hospital, the Glostrup Hospital and Rigshospitalet and her team decided to evaluate the significance of cerebral damage and ROP on the visual impairment in extremely premature born preschool children.
They conducted a clinical follow-up study that included 178 extremely premature born Danish children, i.e. with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks that were born between February 13, 2004 and March 23, 2006, and a matching control group of 56 children that were born at full-term, i.e. between gestational week 37 to 42.
After analyzing the results, the team discovered that extremely preterm children had more global developmental deficits and foveal sequelae compared with those who were born at full term and that these conditions increased with ROP severity. Global developmental deficits are markers for cerebral damage, whilst foveal sequelae is an abnormality of the fovea, a small area of the retina that allows sharp vision.
The findings furthermore revealed that moderate to severe foveal abnormality, global developmental deficits, and ROP treatment were independently linked to visual impairment.
The researchers state:
“In conclusion, we herein demonstrate that, in Denmark, cerebral damage and ROP sequelae are independent risk factors for VA loss among preschool children born extremely premature and that the presence of cerebral damage is the primary risk factor of the two.”
Written By Petra Rattue