Prevalence, types and magnitude of refractive errors among 6- to 12-month old premature babies in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, types, and magnitude of refractive errors, and their relationship with gestational age and birth weight, among premature babies aged 6 to 12 months at a Nigerian tertiary hospital. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving all consecutive, eligible babies born prematurely was carried out from January to April 2021. Biodata and ocular examination reports, including cycloplegic refraction, were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 20. The significance of the relationship between the types of refractive errors and birth weight and gestational age was determined using Pearson’s correlation, with the level of significance set at P -value less than 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. Results: One hundred twenty-six preterm babies, including 57 (45.2%) males and 69 (54.8%) females, were recruited. Gestational age at birth ranged from 28 to 36 weeks. There was a statistically significant relationship between the type of refractive error and gestational age ( P = 0.009), as well as birth weight ( P = 0.006). The refractive error was hypermetropia in 156 (61%) eyes, of which 123 (78.8%) eyes had <+2.00 DS hypermetropia. Only one baby (0.8%) had a significant refractive error (–5.75 DS both eyes) based on the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus guidelines. The baby’s gestational age was 31 weeks, birth weight was 1.5 kg, and the baby did not have retinopathy of prematurity. Conclusion: The prevalence of significant refractive error among babies born prematurely in the study was 0.8%. The majority had <+2.00 DS hypermetropia, and the relationship between refractive error and birth weight/gestational age was statistically significant.