Preterm birth is a significant public health concern, as it is associated with a high risk of infant mortality, various morbidities in both the neonatal period and later age, and significant socio-economic difficulties (1,2) . Prematurely born children are disadvantaged in terms of perinatal mortality and long-term growth (3)(4)(5) , and they have low birth weight and shorter eyes as compared with full-term children (6,7) .
ABSTRACTPurpose: To analyze ocular biometry parameters and evaluate their relationship with gestational age, birth weight, and postmenstrual age in prematurely born infants.
Methods:The right eyes of 361 premature infants born before the 36th gestational week were evaluated. Birth weight, gestational week, and gender were recorded. An A-scan Biometer was used for obtaining axial measurements, including anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, vitreous length, and total axial length. Results: Gestational age and birth weight values ranged from 23 to 36 weeks and from 560 to 2,670 g, respectively. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 30.8 ± 2.8 weeks and 1,497.9 ± 483.6 g, respectively. During the first examination (4-5 weeks of postnatal age), birth weight and gestational age of the infants correlated significantly and positively with lens thickness, vitreous length, and axial length (r>0.5, p<0.001), but not with anterior chamber depth (r<0.5). Increased vitreous and axial lengths correlated significantly with increasing postmenstrual age of the infants (r=0.669, p<0.001; r=0.845, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Lens thickness, vitreous length, and axial length, but not anterior chamber depth, were significantly correlated with birth weight and gestational age. All four parameters increased with increasing postmenstrual age, with higher correlations for vitreous and axial lengths than for anterior chamber depth and lens thickness. It was concluded that axial elongation resulted primarily from increasing posterior chamber length. At present, ultrasound and optical biometry (partial coherence laser interferometry) are used to measure intraocular distances. Ho wever, eye measurements in newborns are only possible using ul tra sonic methods. Ultrasound biometry, commonly referred to as A-scan and B-scan, is utilized for diagnostic testing and biometric mea surements (8) . A-scan ultrasonography provides a one-dimensional measurement of length in the axial plane. Additionally, it facilitates the monitoring The relationship of birth weight, gestational age, and postmenstrual age with ocular biometry parameters in premature infants A relação entre o peso ao nascer, idade gestacional e idade pós-menstrual com a biometria ocular em bebês prematuros
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