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Visual development in preterm infants

2005; Wiley; Volume: 47; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0012162205000514

1469-8749

Ashima Madan, James E. Jan, William V. Good,

Photoreceptor and optogenetics research

Preterm birth can affect many neurological functions and is known to affect vision when damage to the visual cortex or optic radiations occurs. However, it is not known whether extreme preterm birth affects visual development, either favorably or unfavorably. Additional time in an extrauterine environment could conceivably allow the acceleration of visual abilities as a result of additional experience. Although recent studies suggest that even apparently healthy preterm infants may suffer some degree of loss of neurological function. In this paper we describe what is known about visual development in preterm infants, and we make the case that additional studies are needed to clarify the impact of preterm birth on vision. Because the visual system now lends itself to quantitative studies of function, it could offer researchers and clinicians a method of detecting subtle effects of preterm birth on neurological development and function.