This study identified low gestational age and ROP occurrence as main determinants for foveal thickening. Furthermore, thinned GCL+IPL measurements were associated with lower gestational age. This study highlights the prognostic value of these maturity parameters influencing retinal morphology, which may affect visual function.

This study demonstrated altered axial length and anterior segment morphology in former preterm infants, especially in the first years of life. In addition, we observed that preterm infants seemed to catch up, so that the differences in ocular growth in terms of spherical equivalent, astigmatism, and axial length decreased within the first 8 years of life.

BackgroundLimited data exist collating most of the associated factors for strabismus in one analysis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of strabismus and to analyse associated factors in former preterm and full-term infants.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 239 former preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks and 264 former full-term born infants with GA ≥ 37 weeks underwent detailed ophthalmologic examination in the age of 4–10 years and perinatal data assessment for risk factor analysis. Ophthalmologic examinations included cover testing, best corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic objective refraction, slit lamp as well as fundus examinations. For association analysis with strabismus, the following data was collected and included in multivariable analysis: sex, age at examination, anisometropia, myopic and hyperopic refractive error (≥ 3 dioptres), astigmatism, birth weight percentile, gestational age, retinopathy of prematurity occurrence, maternal age at childbirth, mother smoking, breastfeeding < 3 months, artificial ventilation, intraventricular bleeding, and other perinatal adverse events.ResultsOverall, 4/264 (2%) full-term infants, 15/125 (12%) preterm-infants with GA 29–32 weeks without ROP, 13/59 (22%) preterm infants with GA ≤ 28 weeks without ROP and 14/55 (26%) with GA ≤ 32 weeks with retinopathy of prematurity were affected by strabismus. In the multivariable regression model strabismus was associated with GA (OR = 0.84 per week; p = 0.001), hyperopic refractive error (OR = 4.22; p = 0.002) and astigmatism (OR = 1.68; p = 0.02).ConclusionThis investigation highlights that low gestational age and refraction of the eye are independent risk factors for strabismus, while the other factors show less independent influence.

The main factors for retinal nerve fibre layer thinning are low birth weight and low GA. In addition, decreased RNFLT was associated with reduced visual function. This demonstrates that preterm infants are at high risk for peripapillary RNFL damage associated with reduced visual function.

This study demonstrated that specific corneal aberrations were associated with extreme prematurity rather than with ROP occurrence.

Our results indicate that prematurity itself does not affect choroidal thickness in the peripapillary region. Only infants born SGA revealed peripapillary choroidal thinning compared with AGA infants. Our data indicate that fetal growth restriction leads to choroidal long-term alterations in the peripapillary region.

This report describes the case of a 10-month-old infant, who was delivered to our hospital by the emergency physician intubated and in an unclear unconscious state. The father reported that the child had fallen from the couch to the ground. The consulted ophthalmologist reported venous stasis in both eyes including intraretinal and preretinal bleeding in all four quadrants, a diffuse vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye and temporal retinal wrinkling in both eyes. Based on these particular clinical findings a shaken baby syndrome was suspected. This report demonstrates the importance of recognizing and correctly interpreting the typical ophthalmological signs of physical child abuse in order to detect and prevent further mistreatment of children; moreover, the increasing importance of photographic documentation and histological work-up of the findings for forensic reasons are emphasized.

This study revealed an association between PDI at 2 years of age and lower visual acuity later in childhood. However, there was no correlation between retinal morphology and neurologic outcome in former preterm children after adjusting for several potential confounders.