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Analysis of risk factors in the development of retinopathy of prematurity
Sanja Knezević1, Nadezda Stojanović, Ana Oros
1Medical Faculty, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness. Small birth weight and central nervous system damage are key risk factors for ROP development, with perinatal factors influencing disease severity.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of childhood blindness.
- It primarily affects very premature and critically ill infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the incidence of ROP.
- To identify risk factors associated with ROP severity.
Main Methods:
- Ophthalmologic screening of infants with low birth weight (<2000g) or gestational age (<36 weeks).
- Analysis of 18 postnatal and 6 perinatal risk factors.
- Multivariate logistic analysis to determine independent risk factors.
Main Results:
- Out of 317 screened infants, 17.7% developed mild ROP and 21.5% developed severe ROP.
- Small birth weight and central nervous system damage were independent risk factors for ROP development.
- Small birth weight and perinatal factors were linked to the progression from mild to severe ROP.
Conclusions:
- Small birth weight and CNS damage are critical risk factors for ROP.
- Perinatal factors significantly influence the transition from mild to severe ROP.
Introduction:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a multifactorial disease that occurs most frequently in very small and very sick preterm infants, and it has been identified as the major cause of childhood blindness.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate ROP incidence and risk factors associated with varying degrees of illness.
Methods:
The study was conducted at the Centre for Neonatology, Paediatric Clinic of the Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Serbia, in the period from June 2006 to December 2008. Ophthalmologic screening was performed in all children with body weight lower than 2000 g or gestational age lower than 36 weeks. We analyzed eighteen postnatal and six perinatal risk factors and the group correlations for each of the risk factors.
Results:
Out of 317 children that were screened, 56 (17.7%) developed a mild form of ROP, while 68 (21.5%) developed a severe form. Univariate analysis revealed a large number of statistically significant risk factors for the development of ROP, especially the severe form. Multivariate logistical analysis further separated two independent risk factors: small birth weight (p = 0.001) and damage of central nervous system (p = 0.01). Independent risk factors for transition from mild to severe forms of ROP were identified as: small birth weight (p = 0.05) and perinatal risk factors (p = 0.02).
Conclusion:
Small birth weight and central nervous system damage were risk factors for the development of ROP, perinatal risk factors were identified as significant for transition from mild to severe form of ROP.
