Central and peripheral corneal thickness in newborns.

Central and peripheral corneal thickness was measured in 74 newborn children. The mean central corneal thickness was 0.573 +/- 0.052 mm. The mean peripheral thickness was 0.650 +/- 0.062 mm. There was no significant difference between right and left eyes, sex, gestational age or type of delivery. The central and peripheral corneal thickness in the first 24 h of life was significantly higher than after 48 to 72 h. The full-term babies with 2.500 to 3.000 g of birth weight had peripheral corneal thickness higher than the group with 3.501 to 4.000 g.