Tear production during the neonatal period

PURPOE: To meaure tear ecretion in term and preterm infant to ae whether tear ecretion correlate with the maturity of the infant and to evaluate the change in tear production during the neonatal period. DEIGN: Propective, obervational cae erie. METHOD: Ninety-ix term and 22 preterm medically table infant were tudied. Pot-conceptional age and birth-weight of each infant were recorded. Tear ecretion wa meaured by the chirmer tet before (total tear ecretion) and after (baal tear ecretion) the intillation of topical anethetic agent. Both eye were teted conecutively. The initial tear meaurement were performed within the firt 2 day of life, and tear meaurement were repeated at 2 week and 4 week after birth. REULT: The mean total tear production wa 16.3 (±3.6) mm in term and 7.4 (±3.2) mm in preterm infant. The mean baal tear production wa 7.3 (±3.2) mm in term and 3.5 (±1.3) mm in preterm infant. Total tear ecretion ignificantly correlated with birth-weight (r, 0.42, P = .04) and pot-conceptional age (r, 0.56, P = .006) in preterm infant. For term infant, total tear ecretion ignificantly increaed at 2 week (18.1 ± 3.4 mm, P < .001) and 4 week (19.5 ± 4.1 mm, P < .001) after birth. For preterm infant, a ignificant increae in total tear production wa oberved at the fourth week (11.5 ± 3 mm, P < .001). CONCLUION: Tear production in newborn depend on the maturity of the infant and increae ubtantially during the neonatal period. Preterm infant have reduced tear ecretion compared with term infant.