Association of birth weight with corneal power in early adolescence: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2008

Abstract

PurposeTo analyze the effect of birth weight on ocular morphology, refraction and visual function in early adolescents aged 12–15 years.Material and methodsWe conducted a secondary data analysis using the public use files from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of the period from 1999 to 2008. Study participants aged 12 to 15 years were included with data on birth weight and ophthalmic parameters including presenting distance visual acuity, objective refraction and keratometry. Visual acuity, sphere, astigmatism in power vectors J0 and J45, corneal power and corneal astigmatism were evaluated for an association with birth weight. Linear and logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, survey cycle and birth weight as independent variable were calculated.ResultsLinear regression analysis revealed an association between corneal power and birth weight (per 100g: beta = -0.04, p<0.001) in the univariate analysis, and in the model adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity and NHANES survey cycle (per 100g: beta = -0.04, p<0.001). A lower birth weight was associated with higher corneal power. We found no evidence for an association of visual acuity, sphere, spherical equivalent, J0-vector and J45-vector of astigmatism, corneal J0- or corneal J45-vector with birth weight.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that low BW is linked to alterations in keratometric power even in early adolescents aged 12–15 years whereas visual acuity and refractive error showed no association.

Corneal Aberrations in Former Preterm Infants: Results From The Wiesbaden Prematurity Study

“…The curvature of the cornea is also thought to be linked with birthweight. 17 Similarly, a twin study investigating 1498 participants aged between 5 to 80 years found that low birthweight was associated with a more curved cornea. 18 It is possible that these associations may also contribute to alterations in corneal aberrations in former preterm infants.…”

Association between birth weight and refractive error in adulthood: a Mendelian randomisation study

“…Myopia is more common in children with extremely low birth weight (BW), either with or without retinopathy of prematurity [6,7], although an increased prevalence of hyperopia and astigmatism has also been reported [8,9]. The ocular structure primarily responsible for causing myopia in individuals with extremely low BW is unclear, since both corneal curvature and axial length have been reported to differ in preterm vs. full-term-born infants, and there is evidence suggesting some of these differences may resolve during childhood [10][11][12]. However, few epidemiological studies have assessed the relationship between refractive error and BW within the normal range, either for adult or child samples.…”

“…In both studies, statistical support for the association was weak. No association between BW and refractive error was found in 12 to 15 year-old adolescent participants in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), although BW was associated with corneal curvature [11]. In adult participants from the population-based 1958 British Birth Cohort [15], myopia was associated with lower BW for gestational age (OR=0.90, P<0.05) and in the populationbased Gutenberg Health Study [16], refractive error was -0.017 D (95% CI -0.011 to -0.023; P<0.001) more myopic per standard deviation reduction in BW.…”

Association of Low Birth Weight With Altered Corneal Geometry and Axial Length in Adulthood in the German Gutenberg Health Study

“…L ow birth weight is an indicator of impaired prenatal growth or preterm birth and is a risk factor for systemic comorbidities in adulthood such as arterial hypertension and diabetes. 1,2 Recent reports 3,4 show that altered prenatal growth development affects ocular morphology in childhood and adolescence. However, few population-based studies have reported associations between low birth weight and corneal curvature, 3 corneal power, 4 and axial length 3 in childhood and adolescence.…”