Evaluation of ocular measurements in infants aged 0–2 years who attended routine follow-up visits

AIM: To investigate the effects of prematurity on ocular development by assessing the relationships between axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), spherical equivalent (SE), and astigmatism with gestational age, birth weight, and duration of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay in infants aged 0–2 years. METHODS: This study was designed as a retrospective longitudinal analysis. Medical records of infants attending the Neonatal Ophthalmology Clinic of Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital between September 2022 and November 2024 were reviewed. Associations of AL, CCT, SE, and astigmatism values with gestational age, birth weight, NICU stay duration, and certain maternal-fetal factors were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0 software. RESULTS: After reviewing medical records, 311 newborns with AL and CCT measurements, 125 infants attending the 6-month follow-up, and 85 infants attending the 12-month follow-up were included. In the neonatal period, premature infants had significantly shorter AL (p<0.001) and thicker CCT values (p<0.001) compared to term infants. However, no significant difference was found between premature and term infants at 6 and 12 months regarding AL and CCT. Newborns with maternal smoking exposure or those receiving phototherapy for jaundice had significantly reduced AL values at birth (p=0.04 and p=0.024, respectively); however, this effect was no longer observed at 6 and 12 months. Male infants had significantly higher AL values compared to females at 6 and 12 months (p=0.018). Term infants showed a significant decrease in SE values from 6 months to 12 months (p=0.004), whereas no significant change in SE was observed in preterm infants. Astigmatism decreased significantly from 6 months to 12 months in all groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Ocular biometric development in premature infants differs initially from term infants but these differences diminish during the first year of life. Refractive development (emmetropization) occurs more rapidly in term infants, while preterm infants experience a slower progression. Thus, close refractive monitoring of premature infants is recommended. Keywords: Axial length, central corneal thickness, emmetropization, premature, term.