[Characteristics of normal infants' flash electroretinograms].

Purpose: To investigate the characteristic of retinal function of Chinese infants with ages ranging from 4 to 5 months.

Methods: The flash electroetinograms(ERGs) of 17 infants(34 eyes) of 4 months, 13 infants (26 eyes) of 5 months and 39 adults (78 eyes) were tested. Their rod responses, cone responses and maximal combined responses were recorded. The amplitudes and latencies of b waves were compared and analyzed among the 2 infant groups and the adult group.

Results: In each of 2 infant groups, of all 3 responses, the means of amplitudes were significantly lower and latencies were significantly longer than those of adults. Between the 2 infants groups, rod responses and maximal combined responses were not significantly different, but the cone responses were significantly different, the infants group with age of 5 months has higher amplitude and shorter latency. The average amplitudes of the rod responses of the 4 months infant group and the 5 months infant group were 38.9% and 36.7% of that of the adult group respectively; the average amplitudes of the cone responses of the 4 months infant group and thd 5 months infant group were 62.6% and 71.5% of that of the adult group respectively.

Conclusions: Between the ages ranging from 4 to 5 months, all of the responses of the infant ERG had not reached the levels of adult. Cone response developed more rapidly and was more mature than rod response.