An Influence of Birth Weight, Gestational Age, and Apgar Score on Pattern Visual Evoked Potentials in Children with History of Prematurity

Abstract

Purpose. The objective of our study was to examine a possible influence of gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar score on amplitudes and latencies of P100 wave in preterm born school-age children. Materials and Methods. We examined the following group of school-age children: 28 with history of prematurity (mean age 10.56 ± 1.66 years) and 25 born at term (mean age 11.2 ± 1.94 years). The monocular PVEP was performed in all children. Results. The P100 wave amplitudes and latencies significantly differ between preterm born school-age children and those born at term. There was an essential positive linear correlation of the P100 wave amplitudes with birth weight, gestational age, and Apgar score. There were the negative linear correlations of P100 latencies in 15-minute stimulation from O1 and Oz electrode with Apgar score and O1 and O2 electrode with gestational age. Conclusions. PVEP responses vary in preterm born children in comparison to term. Low birth weight, early gestational age, and poor baseline output seem to be the predicting factors for the developmental rate of a brain function in children with history of prematurity. Further investigations are necessary to determine perinatal factors that can affect the modified visual system function in preterm born children.

Electrophysiological changes in 12-year-old children born MLP: reduced VEP amplitude in MLP children

“…The present results are in agreement with those of several studies demonstrating decreased VEP amplitudes in preterm populations 8 24. We report normal latency, which was found in the same cohort at 5 years,3 in contrast to previous reports of delayed latencies in study groups at the ages of 4–6 years24 and 11 years 8. However, essential differences exist between our study and those of earlier ones, which included extremely preterm children,8 very low birthweight children8 and appropriate for gestational age children in their control groups,3 as opposed to the full-term controls used here.…”

“…Compared with term-born peers, MLP infants are at double the risk of neurodevelopmental disability at 2 years of age, with most impairment observed in the cognitive domain, supporting the notion that even with MLP gestations, preterm birth may impede the normal trajectory of brain development 23. The present results are in agreement with those of several studies demonstrating decreased VEP amplitudes in preterm populations 8 24. We report normal latency, which was found in the same cohort at 5 years,3 in contrast to previous reports of delayed latencies in study groups at the ages of 4–6 years24 and 11 years 8.…”

“…We report normal latency, which was found in the same cohort at 5 years,3 in contrast to previous reports of delayed latencies in study groups at the ages of 4–6 years24 and 11 years 8. However, essential differences exist between our study and those of earlier ones, which included extremely preterm children,8 very low birthweight children8 and appropriate for gestational age children in their control groups,3 as opposed to the full-term controls used here. No correlations were found between the PRVEP variables and macular or papillary RNFL thickness.…”

“…Fulton et al 7 noted that the more severe the acute-phase retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the more severely compromised is the rod photoreceptor function. Most of the other relevant studies included children who were extremely premature, had low birth weight8 or had treated/untreated ROP 4 9. Moreover, several other studies found altered macular morphology with increased central macular thickness in prematurely born children 10–12…”

The biometric parameters of aniso-astigmatism and its risk factor in Chinese preschool children: the Nanjing Eye Study

“…Additionally, several studies have revealed abnormal nervous system function in preterm born children. Michalczuk suggested that Apgar score seemed to be a predicting factor for developmental rate of brain function in children with history of prematurity [40]. Teli found that low 5-minute Apgar score in very perterm infants hindered corpus callosum microstructural development [41].…”