Abstract
One hundred infants between 27 and 34 weeks gestational age assessed by maternal dates and Dubowitz Scoring were studied with the direct ophthalmoscope following dilation of the pupil. The disappearance of the anterior vascular capsule of the lens was arbitrarily divided into four grades. Grade four was assigned when the anterior vascular capsule was complete with progressive decrease in grade as the vascular capsule atrophied. Before the 27th week, the cornea was too opaque to allow good visualization of this vascular system. After the 34th week, these vessels had generally atrophied completely.There were 24 infants scored grade 4, 22 infants scored grade 3, 20 infants scored grade 2 and 28 infants scored grade 1. Six infants had no significant anterior vascular capsule.There was a significant negative correlation between gestational age and grade of anterior vascular capsule (r = -0.877, t = 18.1, p < 0.001). Of the twelve preterm infants in the study estimated to be small for gestational age, one was grade 4, five were grade 2 and six were grade 1. There was significant negative correlation (r = -0.93, t = 7.08, p < 0.001).It is recommended that this simple technique be added to the initial newborn physical examination as an adjunct to gestational aging.
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