Aims:To determine the refractive status and ocular dimensions of a cohort of children at age 10-12 years with birth weight below 1701 g,and also the relation between the neonatal ophthalmic findings and subsequent refractive state.Methods:293 low birth weight children who had been examined in the neonatal period were assessed at 10-12 years of age.The examination consisted of autorefraction,keratometry,and A-scan.Results of right eyes were compared with published normative data.Results:293 of the birth cohort of 572 children consented to participate.The average mean spherical equivalent(MSE)in the low birth weight cohort was+ 0.691 dioptre,significantly higher than the control data(+ 0.30D,p=0.02).The average change in MSE over the 10-12 year period was-1.00 dioptre(n=256),but only 62.1% of cases showed a shift in refractive error of the appropriate magnitude and direction.The presence of any retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)increases the risk of developing anisometropia sixfold.Conclusions:Low birth weight and ROP both significantly impact the refractive state in the long term.At age 10-12 years children born preterm have an increased prevalence of all refractive errors.In low birth weight children refractive state is relatively stable over the first decade of life with a shift towards myopia of 1 dioptre. Aims: To determine the refractive status and ocular dimensions of a cohort of children at age 10-12 years with birth weight below 1701 g, and also the relation between the neonatal ophthalmic findings and subsequent refractive state. Methods: 293 low birth weight children who had been examined in the neonatal period were assessed at 10-12 years of age. The examination consisted of autorefraction, keratometry, and A-scan. Results of right eyes were compared with published normative data. Results: 293 of the birth cohort of 572 The average change in MSE over the 10-12 year (MSE) in the low birth weight cohort was + 0.691 dioptre, significantly higher than the control data (+ 0.30D, p = 0.02) period was-1.00 dioptre (n = 256), but only 62.1% of cases showed a shift in refractive error of the appropriate magnitude and direction. The presence of any retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) increases the risk of developing anisometropia sixfold. Conflusi ons: Low birth weight and ROP both significantly impact the refractive state in the long term. Age 10-12 years children born preterm have an increased prevalence of all refractive errors. In low birth weight children refractive state is relatively stable over the first decade of life with a shift towards myopia of 1 dioptre.