Refractive defects in premature patients
Keywords:
defectos refractivos, prematuros, miopía, hipermetropía, astigmatismoAbstract
Preterm birth may affect the emmetropization process, leading to the appearance of visual alterations characterized by a high prevalence of refractive defects. A case is described of myopia of prematurity resulting from an alteration in the development of the anterior segment. Hyperopia and astigmatism are significantly frequent in these patients. Other causative factors besides prematurity are low birth weight, the presence of retinopathy of prematurity and its treatment with laser therapy. Systematic ophthalmologic evaluation allows early detection and correction of these alterations, leading to optimal visual function and a lower risk for amblyopia. The articles consulted are mainly from the last five years, written in Spanish or English, and available as full texts and abstracts in databases like PubMed, EBSCO, Google Scholar and SciELO.
Key words: Refractive defects; preterm children; myopia; hyperopia; astigmatism.
