Lack of Efficacy of Light Reduction in Preventing Retinopathy of Prematurity

Background Hospital-nursery lighting has been suggested as a factor in causing retinopathy of prematurity. Despite ongoing debate, a causal relation has not been established. Methods We conducted a prospective, randomized, multicenter study of the effects of light reduction on 409 premature infants with birth weights of less than 1251 g and gestational ages of less than 31 weeks. Two hundred five infants were exposed to reduced light, and 204 to typical nursery lighting. The amount of light reaching the infants' eyes was reduced within 24 hours after birth by placing goggles on the infants that reduced visible-light exposure by 97 percent and ultraviolet-light exposure by 100 percent. The babies wore the goggles until 31 weeks' postconceptional age or 4 weeks after birth, whichever was longer. Once the goggles were removed, ophthalmologists masked to the treatment assignments assessed the infants for retinopathy of prematurity at least biweekly for up to 13 weeks. Results There were 188 infants in the gro...