Skip to main content

  • Effect of Premature Birth on Later Rod and Cone Function

    By Lynda Seminara
    Selected By: Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
    Add to My Bookmarks

    Journal Highlights

    JAMA Ophthalmology, August 2017

    Download PDF

    Although advances in neonatal care have improved survival rates for pre­mature infants, major morbidities are common among survivors, including severe retinopathy. Even in full-term infants, the retina is immature and con­tinues developing for several years. The effect of premature birth on rod and cone function during childhood was examined by Molnar et al., who com­pared retinal function of children born very prematurely with that of children born at term. They found that children born prematurely exhibited reduced function of rods and cones.

    Binocular full-field electroretino­graphic (ffERG) recordings were obtained in 6.5-year-old children born both before 27 weeks’ gestation (n = 52) and at full term (n = 45). The recordings were analyzed for associa­tions with gestational age and retinopa­thy of prematurity (ROP).

    Relative to the full-term group, the preterm group had lower amplitudes of combined rod and cone respons­es and of the isolated cone response. The implicit time of the combined rod and cone responses was longer in the preterm group, as was the isolated cone response time. No association was observed between ffERG findings and ROP or gestational age in the preterm group.

    The reduced rod and cone function suggests that extremely premature birth is a major reason for retinal dys­function later in life. The researchers recommended long-term follow-up of patients born prematurely to detect and treat disorders resulting from rod or cone dysfunction, including photopho­bia, reduced visual field, and inade­quate night vision. (Also see related commentary by M. Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, in the same issue.)

    The original article can be found here.