Ophthalmic and cerebral blood flow velocities in preterm infants: influence of ambient lighting conditions.

Doppler ultrasound was used to study ophthalmic and middle cerebral artery flow velocities at different ambient lighting conditions in 28 preterm infants in the first week of life. We found significant increases of ophthalmic and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocities when ambient light was increased from moderate to intense. Flow velocities in the ophthalmic artery increased significantly more than in the middle cerebral artery. Doppler ultrasound studies of ophthalmic blood flow velocity may assist in answering the intriguing question whether light-induced changes of ocular perfusion play a role in the development of retinopathy of prematurity.