Samantha Simkin1, Stuti Misra1, Charles McGhee1 ,2, Shuan Dai1 ,2

Purpose: Early detection of congenital eye abnormalities is essential for timely treatment and better outcomes. Wide-field digital imaging (WFDI) has been successfully used for premature infants at risk of retinopathy of prematurity screening The aim of this study is to assess the applicability of WFDI for universal newborn eye screening (UNES).

Methods: Infants born greater than 31 weeks gestation and 1250 grams in Auckland were eligible for UNES. The RetCam was used to capture WFDI of the external eye including the red reflex, and posterior segment. Images were reviewed via telemedicine by an ophthalmologist.

Results: To date 285 (of the planned 367) healthy newborns have been screened. Median age at screening was three days post birth with an interquartile range of two to four days. Of those screened 11.8% (n=33) of infants had retinal haemorrhages, with all cases of haemorrhages resolved at six week follow up. A further 1.4% had ocular conditions requiring referral to ophthalmology care, including congenital cataract and suspected optic nerve hypoplasia.

Conclusion: Our data to date shows that WFDI of the anterior and posterior eye is an effective tool for universal newborn eye screening. Significant ocular abnormalities including retinal haemorrhage and congenital cataract were detected at an earlier age.