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[Risk factors associated to retinopathy of prematurity]
Clara Aurora de Jesús Zamorano Jiménez1, Manuel Salgado Valladares, Beatriz Velásquez Valassi
1Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, México. aurora5_zj@yahoo.com.mx
Insights
Gestational age and birth weight are the primary risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity in newborns. These factors significantly increase the likelihood of developing this serious eye condition in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal ophthalmology
- Perinatal medicine
- Public health
Context:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Identifying key risk factors is crucial for timely intervention and prevention strategies.
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) manage high-risk premature infants.
Purpose:
- To identify and rank the most significant risk factors associated with the incidence of retinopathy in premature infants.
- To provide data that can inform clinical practice and improve outcomes for high-risk neonates.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 60 premature infants diagnosed with retinopathy.
- The two most significant risk factors identified were extremely low gestational age (≤ 28 weeks) and very low birth weight (≤ 1,000 g).
- Other contributing factors included hyaline membrane disease, late sepsis, frequent desaturations, surfactant and steroid administration, multiple blood transfusions, and prolonged hospitalization.
Impact:
- This research highlights the critical importance of gestational age and birth weight in predicting ROP risk.
- Findings can guide targeted screening protocols and resource allocation in NICUs.
- Improved understanding may lead to reduced incidence and severity of ROP, preserving vision in premature infants.
Objectives:
To determine the most important risk factors for the incidence of retinopathy in premature infants.
Material And Methods:
A retrospective study, controls and cases of newborn infants (≤ 32 weeks of gestation and birth weight ≤ 1,500) with diagnosis of retinopathy in the newborn intensive care unit were performed.
Results:
Sixty cases of premature infants, with some grade of retinopathy, were found: 30 of which were male and 27 female.Three cases were excluded because of congenital problems. The two mainly involved risk factors in the retinopathy of neonates are gestational age (≤ 28 weeks; p ≤ 0.001; OR: 18.62; IC 95%: 7.36-47.09), and birth weight ≤ 1,000 g (p < 0.001; OR: 13.55; IC 95%: 5.59-32.84). Other risk factors found were: hyaline membrane disease(HMD), late sepsis, frequent desaturations in newborns up to the second week of life related to apnea, surfactant and postnatal steroids administration, as well as more than 5 blood transfusions, or stay at hospital longer than 45 days.
Conclusion:
The two main risk factors in the onset of retinopathy in premature infants are gestational age and birth weight.
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