There is generally concern regarding vision
problems in premature children and especially those with retinopathy of
prematurity (ROP). Researchers
investigated whether the incidence rate,
cumulative incidence, and prevalence of any amblyopia risk factors were greater
in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and non-ROP screened groups of children up
to age 3. The incidence of amblyopia risk factors was not significantly
different between non-ROP and ROP screened children however, the prevalence of
refractive errors among premature children-especially astigmatism- was higher
than that reported in childhood in the eye care literature. Based
on this, it may be appropriate to screen all children with a history of
prematurity for refractive errors around 24 months of age. If a friend,
relative or acquaintance has a child born prematurely, it might be worth
suggesting that they schedule a screening eye exam by age 2 if they have not
already done so at the direction of their pediatrician.
If you or someone you know is
concerned about eye health and vision problems in children please be sure to
call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999,
visit The
Eye Care & Surgery Center, or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter.
The Eye Care & Surgery Center is an affiliate of Prism Vision
Group and is located at 592
Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren,
New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout
central and northern New Jersey.
