Arch. Dis. Child

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
[Advanced]

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this link to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in ADC Online
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Add article to my folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cooke, R W I
Right arrow Articles by Clarke, D
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cooke, R W I
Right arrow Articles by Clarke, D
Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition 2004;89:F249
© 2004 Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition


ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Ophthalmic impairment at 7 years of age in children born very preterm

R W I Cooke1, L Foulder-Hughes1, D Newsham2, D Clarke3

1 Department of Child Health, University of Liverpool, Institute of Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK
2 Department of Orthoptics, University of Liverpool
3 Department of Ophthalmology, Walton Hospital, Rice Lane, Liverpool L9 1AE, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor Cooke
Neonatal Unit, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Crown Street, Liverpool L8 7SS, UK; mc19{at}liv.ac.uk

Aims: To determine the prevalence of ophthalmic impairments in very preterm compared with term infants, the relation between impairments and cerebral ultrasound appearances and retinopathy, and the correlation with visual perception and motor and cognitive measures.

Subjects: 279 children at 7 years of age born before 32 weeks gestation within Liverpool during 1991–92 and attending mainstream schools, and 210 term controls.

Methods: Visual acuity was assessed by Snellen chart, and strabismus by the cover test. Stereopsis was determined using the TNO random dot test, and contrast sensitivity using the Cambridge low contrast gratings. Visual and motor abilities were assessed using the Developmental test of motor integration (VMI) and the Movement ABC. Intelligence was measured with the Wechsler intelligence scale for children UK. Perinatal cranial ultrasound and retinopathy data were extracted from clinical records.

Results: Children born preterm were significantly more likely to wear glasses, to have poor visual acuity, reduced stereopsis, and strabismus than term controls, but they showed no significant decrease in contrast sensitivity. Ophthalmic impairments were significantly related to poorer scores on the VMI, Movement ABC, and Wechsler IQ tests, but were not significantly related to neonatal cranial ultrasound appearances. Stage 3 retinopathy was related to poorer subsequent acuity.

Conclusions: Children born very preterm and without major neurodevelopmental sequelae have an increased prevalence of ophthalmic impairments at primary school age which are associated with visual perceptional, motor, and cognitive defects. The cause may be a generalised abnormality of cortical development rather than perinatally acquired focal lesions of the brain.


Keywords: visual impairment; preterm; motor function; cognitive function

Abbreviations: IQ, intelligence quotient; Movement ABC, Movement assessment battery for children; PVH, periventricular haemorrhage; PVL, periventricular leucomalacia; ROP, retinopathy of prematurity; VMI, Developmental test of visual-motor integration




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.Home page
T. Stephenson, S. Wright, A. O'Connor, A. Fielder, A. Johnson, S. Ratib, and M. Tobin
Children born weighing less than 1701 g: visual and cognitive outcomes at 11-14 years
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., July 1, 2007; 92(4): F265 - F270.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
IOVSHome page
D. Newsham, P. C. Knox, and R. W. I. Cooke
Oculomotor Control in Children Who Were Born Very Prematurely
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2007; 48(6): 2595 - 2601.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
J. H. Kok, L. Prick, E. Merckel, Y. Everhard, G. J.Q. Verkerk, and S. A. Scherjon
Visual Function at 11 Years of Age in Preterm-Born Children With and Without Fetal Brain Sparing
Pediatrics, June 1, 2007; 119(6): e1342 - e1350.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
K. M. Clements, W. D. Barfield, M. F. Ayadi, and N. Wilber
Preterm Birth-Associated Cost of Early Intervention Services: An Analysis by Gestational Age
Pediatrics, April 1, 2007; 119(4): e866 - e874.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch OphthalmolHome page
D. Robaei, A. Kifley, G. A. Gole, and P. Mitchell
The impact of modest prematurity on visual function at age 6 years: findings from a population-based study.
Arch Ophthalmol, June 1, 2006; 124(6): 871 - 877.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Br. J. Ophthalmol.Home page
E Larsson, A Rydberg, and G Holmstrom
Contrast sensitivity in 10 year old preterm and full term children: a population based study
Br. J. Ophthalmol., January 1, 2006; 90(1): 87 - 90.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
K. Mikkola, N. Ritari, V. Tommiska, T. Salokorpi, L. Lehtonen, O. Tammela, L. Paakkonen, P. Olsen, M. Korkman, V. Fellman, et al.
Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 5 Years of Age of a National Cohort of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Who Were Born in 1996-1997
Pediatrics, December 1, 2005; 116(6): 1391 - 1400.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
ARCH DIS CHILD FETAL NEONATAL ED ED PRACTICE
Terms and conditions relating to subscriptions purchased online  ¦  Website terms and conditions  ¦  Privacy policy
Copyright © 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health