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Is retinopathy of prematurity increasing among infants less than 1250 g birth weight?
Maureen T O'Connor1, Betty R Vohr, Richard Tucker
1Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants' Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI 02905, USA.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) increased in infants weighing less than 1250g. Micropremies under 750g faced the highest risk of this serious complication.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal ophthalmology
- Perinatal medicine
- Public health
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Severe ROP is often associated with other severe disabilities in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the incidence and severity of ROP in VLBW infants (< or =1250 g) treated at Women & Infants' Hospital.
- To analyze trends in ROP occurrence over a 7-year period (1994-2000).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of ROP and neonatal follow-up data.
- Analysis included 739 survivors from 1002 infants with birth weights <1250 g.
- Statistical methods: ANOVA, chi2, and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- A significant increasing trend in ROP occurrence was observed (40% to 54%, p=0.007).
- The incidence of threshold ROP remained stable (2% to 5%, NS).
- Infants with birth weights <750 g were at the highest risk for ROP (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Severe ROP remains a significant source of morbidity in extremely premature infants (<750 g).
- Continued vigilance and targeted interventions are crucial for managing ROP in high-risk neonates.
Objective:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a complication seen in many very low birth weight infants. Severe ROP has been called a "marker" for severe disability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and severity of ROP among infants < or =1250 g birth weight treated in the Special Care Nursery at Women & Infants' Hospital over a period of 7 years from 1994 to 2000.
Study Design:
This was a retrospective review of ROP data combined with neonatal follow-up data. Of the 1002 infants born with birth weights <1250 g, ophthalmologic data were available for 739 of 839 survivors. Analysis of variance and chi2 along with logistic regression were used to analyze outcomes.
Results:
An increase in the overall occurrence of ROP was identified (40% to 54% linear trend, p=0.007). The occurrence of threshold ROP ranged from 2% to 5% (NS). Infants at greatest risk of ROP were those micropremies with birth weights <750 g (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Severe ROP continues to be a significant morbidity among infants <750 g.
