Neonatal risk factors of 5 years strabismus in born preterm children: Epipage2 cohort study

Abstract

Purpose : To identify neonatal risk factors of strabismus at age 5^1/2 of born preterm children.

Methods : Data were extracted from the EPIPAGE-2 cohort, a French prospective population-based study of children born premature in 2011 with Gestational Age (GA) of 34 weeks or less. Outcome measure was the presence of a strabismus at the medical interview performed at 5^1/2 years of life. Intermediate and confusing factors were determined using a Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs). Total and direct effect of GA on the risk of strabismus were studied using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE).

Results : Among the 2419 children clinically assessed, 274 (imputed weighted prevalence 19.5%) presented strabismus. Direct effect of GA remained significant after adjustment on intermediate factors (p<.001). In the complete imputed model: smoking not stopped during pregnancy (odds ratio, OR 1.8 [1.3-2.6]), neonatal severe cerebral lesion (OR 2.9 [1.8-4.6]) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (OR 4.2 [1.9-9.0]) were independent risk factors of strabismus.

Conclusions : Neonatal severe cerebral lesion and severe ROP did not explain all the association between strabismus and GA. The increased risk of strabismus for women smoking during the pregnancy may represent an additional motivation to quit.

This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.