Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40391491›Full record

ArticleActa ophthalmologica2026

Visual acuity outcomes up to 12 years and risk factors for visual impairment in a national cohort of extremely preterm born children - The Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study (EXPRESS).

Despoina Tsamadou, Karin Källén, Abbas Al-Hawasi, Ann Hellström, Gerd Holmström, Fatima Pedrosa-Domellöf, Kristina Tornqvist, Ulrika Kjellström, Lisa B Thorell, Lena Hellström-Westas and 3 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Acta ophthalmologica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Despoina TsamadouDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0197-3466
Karin KällénInstitution of Clinical Sciences, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden.
Abbas Al-HawasiDivision of Ophthalmology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8534-080X
Ann HellströmDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9259-1244
Gerd HolmströmDepartment of Surgical Sciences/Ophthalmology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5600-7186
Fatima Pedrosa-DomellöfOphthalmology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Kristina TornqvistDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Ophthalmology, Skane University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Ulrika KjellströmDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Ophthalmology, Skane University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Lisa B ThorellDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lena Hellström-WestasDepartment of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Andreas OhlinDepartment of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
Ulrika ÅdénDepartment of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kerstin HellgrenDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Funding

Bernadotte Foundation For Children's EyecareKnut och Alice Wallenbergs StiftelseÖgonfondenStockholms Läns Landsting ALF-20160227Stockholms Läns Landsting FoUI 947257Stockholms Läns Landsting FoUI 949327Stockholms Läns Landsting FoUI 951235Stockholms Läns Landsting FoUI 952920Stockholms Läns Landsting FoUI 960250Västra Götalandsregionen ALFGBG-717971Västra Götalandsregionen ALFGBG-971188Vetenskapsrådet 2006-3858Vetenskapsrådet 2009-4250Vetenskapsrådet 2014-03908Vetenskapsrådet 2020-01092
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study (EXPRESS) followed a national cohort of extremely preterm born (EPT, i.e. <27 weeks) children until 12 years of age. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal development of visual acuity (VA) in children born EPT, explore the predictive value of early visual assessments, and evaluate risk factors for visual impairment at the age of 12 years.

methodsAll 462 children born EPT in Sweden during April 2004-March 2007, and surviving to age 6.5 years, and full-term born matched controls were invited to participate in the 12-year follow-up. VA was assessed at 12 years and the results were compared with values at 2.5 and 6.5 years.

resultsAt age 12, 332 (72%) EPT survivors and 189 controls were examined. The mean VA in the EPT group was lower than in the control group (1.15, 95%CI [1.12-1.19] vs. 1.33, 95% CI [1.29-1.37]). Fifteen (4.5%) EPT had visual impairment. The examination at age 2.5 failed to identify most of them, while the examination at 6.5 could predict the final visual outcome at 12. Risk factors for visual impairment were low gestational age, moderate and severe intraventricular haemorrhage, treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity, cerebral palsy, and cognitive disability.

conclusionIn this national cohort, the VA outcome at age 12 was lower in children born EPT than full-term controls. As eye examination at 2.5 years did not reliably identify visual impairment, clinical risk factors should be considered in the screening of children born EPT to early identify the visually impaired.

Indexed as

Infant, Extremely PrematurePersons with Visual DisabilitiesVision DisordersVisual AcuityChildChild, PreschoolFemaleFollow-Up StudiesGestational AgeHumansInfant, NewbornMaleRisk FactorsSwedencerebral palsycognitive disabilityextremely pretermlongitudinal visual outcomenational cohortperinatal risk factorsretinopathy of prematurityvisual impairment

Identifiers

PMID40391491
PMCPMC12803563

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.