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Reduced Lighting in VLBW Infants
Reduced Lighting Does Not Improve Outcomes in VLBW Infants. Kennedy KA, Fiedler AR, Hardy RJ, et al. J Pediatr 2001 (Oct); 139:527-31.
Four hundred nine infants with birth weight < 1250 grams and EGA < 31 weeks were randomly assigned to receive goggles or to a control group. Goggles that reduced visible light by 97% were placed within 24 hours of birth, and remained in use until 31 weeks PMA or for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Results. There were no significant differences between groups in weight gain, duration of oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, or hospital stay in either the unadjusted analysis or after adjusting for birth weight, EGA, race, sex, and inborn status. There was no difference between groups in the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage.
Comment. This study was done by the LIGHT-ROP Cooperative Group and is a follow-up to their previous report which demonstrated a lack of efficacy of light reduction in preventing retinopathy of prematurity (J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 1999;36:257-63). So why are our level III NICUs still lit like caves?
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