Comparison of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Terms of Birth Weight in Prematurely Born Children.

PURPOSE: To study the potential effects of both prematurity and the sub-groups of low birth weight on thickness of RNFL.

METHODS

Prospective case series of 26 preterm school-aged children with low birth weight whose retinal nerve fiber layer analyses with RTVue-100 Fourier-domain optic coherence tomography were performed in 2013 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Erzurum Region Education and Training Hospital.

RESULTS

The mean retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were 100.6 ± 13.3 microns in extremely low birth weight, 103.9 ± 8.4 microns in very low birth weight, and 104.1 ± 10.8 microns in low birth weight groups. There was no significant difference in RNFL among the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

No significant relationship was found between birth weights and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of preterm children who were appropriate for gestational age.