• Macula
• embryology and development
• child health (paediatrics)

Major neurological, pulmonary and ophthalmological dysfunctions are common in prematurely born children. However, minor sequelae of preterm birth and their effects on the daily life of these children as they grow up are less well known. Visual impairment may occur secondary to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and/or damage of the visual pathways. Although the prevalence of visual impairment is relatively low in high-income countries, population-based follow-up studies of prematurely born children and adolescents have recently shown that a significant proportion of them have subnormal visual functions affecting visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual fields and stereopsis.1–11 In a …