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In premature children, refraction development best predicted at 2.5 years of age
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Prematurely born children experience a similar course of refractive development, regardless of the stage of their retinopathy of prematurity, a study found. Children’s refraction at 2.5 years of age was better at predicting their refractive errors at age 10 than was an earlier measurement, the study authors said.
Gerd E. Holmström, MD, PhD, and Eva K. Larsson, MD, PhD, at Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, performed retinoscopy in cycloplegia at 6 months, 2.5 years and 10 years of age in 198 children with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Myopia was defined in the study as a negative spherical equivalent greater than 0 D, clinically significant myopia at 10 years of age was defined as an error of –1 D or greater, and moderate or high myopia was defined as error of greater than –3 D. Hyperopia greater than 3 D was regarded as significant.
No significant differences were seen in the refractive development in the various subgroups of ROP. Eyes treated with cryotherapy had a wider distribution of error. Multiple regression analysis showed that the spherical equivalents at 2.5 years of age predicted clinically significant myopia by age 10.
The study is published in the October issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.