Visual function, ocular morphology and growth: Children born moderate-to-late preterm

Joint Event on 3^rd International conference on Neuroscience, Neuroradiology and Imaging & World Congress on Clinical, Pediatric and Neuro Ophthalmology

October 03-04, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Lina Raffa

King Abdulaziz University Hospital, KSA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Pediatr Neurol Med

Abstract :

In the past, researchers have closely studied both systemic and ophthalmological complications associated with extreme preterm birth. Moderate-to-Late Preterm (MLP) infants have become the fastest-growing subgroup of preterm infants in the last decade. To date, very few studies have focused on the ophthalmological aspects of this particular subset of MLP children. The aim of our project was to investigate the development of ocular morphology and visual function in children born MLP. In a prospective population based study conducted in 2002-2004, 247 potentially eligible children (110 girls and 137 boys) born MLP [Gestational Age (GA) 32-36 weeks] participated in the neonatal study. None of the participating children had a previous history of ROP. At 5.5, 8, 10 and 12 years of age, 78, 50, 33 and 22 children, respectively who were still included in the study took part in sub-studies that focused on orthoptic evaluation, ocular morphology, visual function and electrophysiology in both MLP and sex and age-matched controls. Based on our findings, being born MLP is associated with increased ocular morbidity and may require greater ophthalmic surveillance than full-term counterparts. Auxological data at birth, especially birth weight, seems to be an important risk indicator when establishing an ophthalmological diagnosis in preschool MLP children, and visual acuity outcome was positively correlated to GA. Good catch-up growth favoured proper development of ocular growth and morphology. Our results show that fundus morphology, Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) and full-field Electroretinography (ff-ERG) responses are also affected in the MLP group.

Biography :

Lina Raffa is a Saudi Ophthalmologist, holds both Swedish and European Board certifications, as well as a PhD degree from the University of Gothenburg. She has graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in 2007. She further completed her Residency training in parallel with her PhD studies at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg and obtained Swedish and European Boards of Ophthalmology in 2015. Later, she completed her Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship at University of Montreal and another Fellowship at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

E-mail: lina_raffa@yahoo.com