Premium
Oculomotor deficits in children adopted from Eastern Europe
Author(s) -
Pueyo Victoria,
Castillo Olimpia,
Gonzalez Inmaculada,
Ortin Marta,
Perez Teresa,
Gutierrez Diego,
Prieto Esther,
Alejandre Adrian,
Masia Belen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15135
Subject(s) - saccadic masking , medicine , fixation (population genetics) , audiology , eye movement , alcohol consumption , gaze , ophthalmology , psychology , alcohol , environmental health , population , biochemistry , chemistry , psychoanalysis
Abstract Aim We aim to assess oculomotor behaviour in children adopted from Eastern Europe, who are at high risk of maternal alcohol consumption. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 29 adoptees and 29 age‐matched controls. All of them underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. Oculomotor control, including fixation and saccadic performance, was assessed using a DIVE device, with eye tracking technology. Anthropometric and facial measurements were obtained from all the adopted children, to identify features of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Fixational and saccadic outcomes were compared between groups, and the effect of adoption and FASD features quantified. Results Oculomotor performance was poorer in adopted children. They presented shorter (0.53 vs 1.43 milliseconds in the long task and 0.43 vs 0.82 in the short task) and more unstable fixations (with a bivariate contour ellipse area of 27.9 vs 11.6 degree 2 during the long task and 6.9 vs 1.3 degree 2 during the short task) and slower saccadic reactions (278 vs 197 milliseconds). Children with sentinel finding for FASD showed the worst oculomotor outcomes. Conclusion Children adopted from Eastern Europe present oculomotor deficits, affecting both fixation and saccadic skills. We highlight prenatal exposure to alcohol as the main cause for these deficits.