Accommodation and convergence development in premature infants

What is it about?

Premature babies are more likely to develop a strabismus (squint). We looked at the development of eye position control and focusing in premature versus full-term infants. Eye focusing appears "hard-wired", so premature babies have been in the world longer before their eyes are controlled. Other research suggests one aspect of 3D vision may develop due to visual experience (so at an earlier corrected age than in full-term babies).

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Why is it important?

If some parts of the visual system (such as 3D vision, which is very vulnerable to disruption in the first months of life) emerge in premature babies while eye position and focusing control is immature , it might explain the increased risk of them developing more childhood vision problems