IOP & Corneal Diameter in Premature Infants

ABSTRACT

Premature infants may have underdevelopment of multiple organs including ocular structures.Sixty one premature infants of thirty seven weeks-old or younger were examed to note the correlation of intraocular pressure andcorneal diameter with gestational age and birth weight. Following topical anesthesia, intraocular pressure was measured with Tonopen II tonometer and the corneal diameter with caliper.The fundus was examed for the presence of risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity. Average gestational age of the subjects was 30.2 weeks (26~37 weeks), and birth weight was 1419 g (677~3691 g).Thirty five subjects had experienced oxygen therapy, and eleven patients were found to have any stage of retinopathy of prematurity. Average intraocular pressure was 10.8 +/-2.3 mmHg (mean +/-standard deviation), corneal diameter was 8.8 +/-0.5 mm.No significant correlation was found between intraocular pressure or corneal diameter and gestational age or birth weight.The presence of retinopathy of prematurity did not seem to influence the intraocular pressure and corneal diameter. Our results suggested that the growth in uterus did not seem to affect intraocular pressure or corneal diameter in gestational age of 26 to 37 weeks. These normative values may aid ophthalmologists in assesing intraocular pressure and corneal diameter in premature infants.