Alterations in intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness in premature newborns

Objective: To evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT), and the effects of gestational age, birth weight, mean oxygenation time and stages of premature retinopathy (ROP) on intraocular pressure (IOP) in premature newborns. Methods: The study included preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Regression analysis were carried out to assess the association of IOP with gender, gestational age, birth weight, mean oxygenation time, stages of ROP and CCT. Results: Mean IOP was 17.2+/-2.1 mmHg and mean CCT was 572.5+/-16.4 mu m in premature newborns. Intraocular pressure was not correlated with CCT in preterm infants. Sex, gestational age, birth weight, mean oxygenation time, stage of ROP were not related to IOP. Conclusion: Our results showed that the CCT does not affect IOP significantly in preterm infants. Further prospective studies are needed for determining the effect of CCT and other ocular and systemic factors on IOP.