J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2010 Jan;51(1):81-87.

Analysis of Factors Affecting the Change in Axial Length of Premature Infant's Eye

• Park DI
• Ha SW
• Park SB
• Yun YS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To analyze the effect of presence with or absent of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and its stage, birth weight, conceptual age and associated diseases on the axial length of premature infants' eye.
METHODS
A total of 102 eyes of 51 premature infants less than 36 weeks of conceptual age were evaluated in this study. Fundus examination for ROP and axial length measurement were conducted at 40, 52 and 64 weeks of postconceptual age. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Independent t-test analysis, simple regression analysis, and one-way ANOVA were performed to assess the influence of each factor on axial length.
RESULTS
The mean axial length at 40, 52 and 64 weeks were 17.35, 18.80 and 19.78 mm, respectively. The mean axial length with and without ROP at 40 weeks were 17.10 mm and 17.54 mm, respectively, which were statistically significant (p=0.000). There was a significant decrease in axial length at 40 weeks in the higher ROP stage (p<0.05). Axial length and birth weight showed positive correlation with statistical significance at 40 weeks, while these parameters showed no significant correlation at 64 weeks. Axial length and conceptual age showed a positive correlation with statistical significance at 40 weeks (p=0.000), yet a negative correlation at 64 weeks with no statistical significance (p=0.306). A significant difference was not observed between sex and the associated diseases.
CONCLUSIONS
The factors that affect the axial length of an infants'eye at 40 weeks were ROP and its stage, birth weight, and conceptual age. Additionally, there was no significant relationship between sex and the associated diseases.

Keyword

Axial length; Birth weight; Conceptual age; Prematurity; Retinopathy of prematuriy

MeSH Terms

Birth Weight
Diterpenes
Eye
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Medical Records
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Retrospective Studies
Diterpenes

Figure

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  Figure 1. Changes in axial length for each stage of ROP with conceptual age.

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  Figure 2. Changes in anterior chamber depth for each stage of ROP with conceptual age

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  Figure 3. Relationship between birth weight and axial length. (AL: axial length)

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  Figure 4. Relationship between conceptual age and axial length. (AL: axial length)

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  Figure 5. Relationship between birth weight and axial length in ROP group. (AL: axial length)

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  Figure 6. Relationship between conceptual age and axial length in ROP group. (AL: axial length)

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  Figure 7. Relationship between birth weight and axial length in without ROP group. (AL: axial length)

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  Figure 8. Relationship between conceptual age and axial length in without ROP group. (AL: axial length)

Reference

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