Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Major ArticleVisuospatial skills, ocular alignment, and magnetic resonance imaging findings in very low birth weight adolescents
Section snippets
Methods and Materials
The original population-based study group comprised all live born VLBW infants (n = 107) during a 15-month period in the southeastern region of Sweden. A total of 86 children survived the neonatal period and were eligible for a follow-up study. They were screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at the age of 40 postmenstrual weeks, according to the clinical practice at the time. Two VLBW subjects had diagnosed ROP stage 2 or greater. None were treated for ROP. One infant had Down syndrome
Ocular Alignment: Qualitative Measurements
The cover test revealed no heterotropia with habitual correction in the control group, although 1 subject had esotropia detected with uncorrected cover test. Three VLBW subjects had esotropia, and 1 had exotropia and hypotropia both with and without habitual correction. Medical records disclosed 2 additional VLBW subjects who had previously been surgically treated for intermittent exotropia; in the current study they were diagnosed as having exophoria. One VLBW subject had bilateral Brown
Discussion
In this population-based study in 15-year-old VLBW subjects and control subjects, we found increased prevalence of ocular misalignment in the VLBW group. Exophoria, subnormal stereoacuity, and subnormal performance IQ were significantly more common in the VLBW group. All VLBW subjects with heterotropia had subnormal performance IQ and 3 of 4 had moderate-to-severe WMDI.
Strabismus is a well-documented complication of various cerebral abnormalities. Increased prevalence of heterotropia and
Acknowledgments
This report is part of a multidisciplinary prospective follow-up study of VLBW children and controls in Southeast Sweden. The examination at 15 years of age was planned and performed by a working group consisting of the following members in addition to the authors of this paper: Orvar Finnström, Ingemar Leijon, PO Gäddlin, Stefan Samuelsson, Marie, Wadsby, Chen Wang, Ann Hellström and Olof Flodmark. The authors are grateful to Professor Gunnar Lennerstrand for valuable comments on the
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This research was funded by a grant from the Health Research Council in Southeast Sweden (FORSS), the County of Jönköping and Östergötland, Stiftelsen Kronprinsessan Margaretas arbetsnämnd för synskadade, St. Erik Foundation for Eye Research, and Sigvard & Marianne Bernadotte Foundation for Pediatric Ophthalmology.