THE COURSE OF MYOPIA IN CHILDREN WITH MILD RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

The courses of spherical equivalent in patients (n = 62) who had mild, non-cicatricial retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and in those withou t a history of ROP (n = 25) were modeled as a linear function of age; an exponential model was also considered. A few (n = 5) without ROP ha ve abnormal courses characterized by hyperopia in early infancy; none have poor acuity. Although the majority of patients with ROP have cour ses indistinguishable from those of term born controls, 27 (43.5%) hav e abnormal courses, most of which are toward myopia. Optotype acuities were significantly poorer among the ROP patients with abnormal than n ormal refractive courses. Thus abnormal refractive development and acu ity deficits are associated in eyes that have had mild ROP.