Could age-related vision loss be linked to low birth weight?

A study published in the online journal PLOS One reveals that low birth weight could be a factor in age-related vision loss. Many age-related eye diseases are complex in nature and many factors contribute to the risk. Birth weight could be one of those factors. Researchers at the University of Alberta studied rats that had restricted growth in the womb resulting in low birth weights. What they found was that these low birth weight rats were more likely to develop age-related vision loss than their normal birth weight counterparts. In addition to having poorer vision as they aged, the low birth weight rats also had poorer night vision. The research team believes that these study findings call for additional research to see if the same association exists in humans.*