Effect of Premature Birth on Later Rod and Cone Function
By Lynda Seminara
Selected By: Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
Journal Highlights
JAMA Ophthalmology, August 2017
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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.