Myopia in very-low-birth-weight babies with and without retinopathy of prematurity

Objectives and Methods The authors report on the incidence of myopia of more than 3.0 diopters in a cohort of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) children, born between 1985 and 1990, at 12, 24 and 36 months of age. Results In the 133 surviving infants of the 200 babies admitted, the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity was 19.5%. One infant was blind. Of the 109 children examined at follow-up, eight (7.2%) developed myopia > 3 diopters. A positive association was found between retinopathy of prematurity and birth weight and between retinopathy of prematurity, especially cicatricial retinopathy of prematurity, and myopia, but myopia was detected also in some children without retinopathy of prematurity. Conclusions Regular ophthalmological examinations for a II VLBW children throughout the first 3 years of life are recommended.