Central corneal thickness in full-term newborns.

The central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured in 30 full-term newborns in the first week post partum using ultrasonic pachometry. The mean CCT in the right eyes was 0.581 +/- 0.047 mm. In 19 babies the CCT was measured twice. The mean CCT in the second reading was 0.584 +/- 0.042 mm. This difference was not statistically significant. There was no correlation between gestational age, birth weight and length, and CCT. The small difference between girls and boys was not statistically significant. The values in the left eyes were similar to the data for the right eyes. These results confirm the results in the only previous study on CCT in newborns, that is, that CCT is significantly larger than the CCT in adults.