**4.8 Optic nerve changes**

Previously, the understanding of optic nerve development originated from different histopathology experiments [55]. The appearance of OCT has allowed for in-vivo studies of the optic nerve in humans. OCT has been used broadly for optic nerve evaluation in adults, however the use of it for infant optic nerve assessment has been limited until now. Preterm infants who underwent ROP screening were found to have larger vertical cup diameter and cup-to-disc ratio than their term counterparts in a pilot study of 44 preterm and 52 term infants. These parameters were found to have a weak association with neurologic pathology such as periventricular leukomalacia, and lower cognitive Bayley scores [56]. However, future larger prospective studies are needed before definite conclusions can be made.
