Effect of bilirubin on visuocortical development in preterm infants

作者：William V. Good, Ronald J. Wong, Anthony M. Norcia, Chuan Hou, Jillian Cellucci, Margaret Q. McGovern, Audrey Wong-Kee-You, Gabriela Acevedo Munares, Delene Richburg, Cam Loveridge‐Easther, J. Lee, Lilia DeJesus, Terri A. Slagle, David K. Stevenson, Vinod K. Bhutani · 发表于：Journal of Perinatology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41372-025-02213-4 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Neonatal Health and Biochemistry、Neonatal Respiratory Health Research、Retinopathy of Prematurity Studies

OBJECTIVE: To determine if visuocortical development in premature infants with high bilirubin levels is more adversely affected than that in full-term infants. STUDY DESIGN: 57 preterm infants were managed using institutional guidelines for hyperbilirubinemia. At 12-months corrected age, Vernier acuity, contrast sensitivity, and grating acuity measured using the sweep visual evoked potential (sVEP) were correlated to total serum/plasma bilirubin (TSB) levels in the first week of life. RESULT: As TSB levels increased, Vernier acuity worsened in infants <34 weeks' gestation compared with those >34 to <37 weeks' gestation (p < 0.001). Contrast sensitivity varied as a function of TSB levels (Spearman correlation 0.63, p < 0.001). Grating acuity was unaffected. CONCLUSION: Vernier acuity in preterm infants <34 weeks' gestation is more vulnerable to the effects of bilirubin, suggesting that the extrastriate visual cortex is primarily affected by bilirubin. Therefore, guidelines for management of hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants (<34 weeks' gestation) should be revised.