OCULAR FINDINGS IN PREMATURELY BORN CHILDREN AT 5 YEARS OF AGE

Fifty-eight prematurely born children (gestational age less-than-or-eq ual-to 32 weeks) were studied at the age of 5 years, The ophthalmologi cal examination was part of an extensive neurodevelopmental evaluation . The eye study revealed significant hyperopia (greater-than-or-equal- to +2.0) in 22.4%, myopia (greater-than-or-equal-to -1.0 D) in 8.6%. a stigmatism (greater-than-or-equal-to 1.0 D) in 12.1%, and anisometropi a (greater-than-or-equal-to 1.0 D) in 12.1%. The myopic refractive err or was high in all of the cases: from -6.0 to -14.0 D. Manifest strabi smus was found in 24.2% and significant visual impairment or blindness in 6.9%. Optic atrophy and cicatricial retinopathy of prematurity wer e the main causes for severe visual defects. In the randomly selected full-term children of the same age, significant hyperopia was seen in 14.3%, astigmatism in 5.4% and strabismus in 1.8%. The pattern of the eye findings was different in the preterm children compared with those born at term.