The aim of this work is to evaluate the visual functions in premature children who have suffered perinatal brain injury. The study includes children with intraventricular haemorrhage, periventricular leukomalatia, brain atrophy and post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus, all of which have required surgery.
In the course of ophthalmological examination, we checked visual acuity, refractive errors and strabismus. Only 35.4% of the children in the study group had normal visual acuity.
Refractive errors were revealed in 55.8% of patients, with hypermetrophy prevailing (85.7% of all children with refractive errors). We found strabismus in 47.9% of the children.
It is clear from these results that regular ophthalmology checkups are essential for premature children with brain injury, as is early compensation of their ocular insufficiency.