The long-term outcome of extremely preterm (<28 weeks’ gestational age) infants with and without severe retinopathy of prematurity

Abstract

Background: Severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is associated with an increased risk for ophthalmologic morbidity, but the long-term impact in other domains is less clear. The aim of the current study was to determine whether severe ROP was related to poorer visual, cognitive, and educational outcomes in a representative sample of EP adolescents, and whether this persisted after adjusting for confounding neonatal risk factors. Method: One hundred and eighty extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks) adolescents (17–18 years) were assessed on a range of neurodevelopmental measures, including visual processing, IQ, visual learning, visual-motor integration, and academic achievement. EP adolescents ..