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New Predictors for Advanced Retinopathy of Prematurity among Neonates in Tehran/Iran
Karim Poorsattar Bejeh Mir1, Parisa Mohagheghi, Arash Poorsattar Bejeh Mir
1Amir Mazandarani Hospital, Sari, Iran.
Insights
Newborn infants born prematurely face risks of advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Higher leukocyte counts, more transfusions, and hypocapnic episodes are significant risk factors for ROP requiring treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Ophthalmology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a serious eye disease affecting premature infants.
- A recent global increase in ROP cases necessitates identifying new risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate novel risk factors associated with advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Iranian neonates.
- To identify modifiable factors that may reduce the incidence of ROP requiring treatment.
Main Methods:
- An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on neonates weighing <1500 g and/or <32 weeks gestational age.
- Data were collected from medical records of infants admitted to a tertiary NICU in Tehran, Iran.
Main Results:
- Twelve out of seventy-one neonates (16.9%) developed advanced ROP.
- Increased leukocyte counts, higher transfusion numbers, and hypocapnic episodes in the first 14 days of life were significantly associated with advanced ROP.
Conclusions:
- Leukocyte counts, blood transfusions, and hypocapnic episodes are significant, potentially modifiable risk factors for advanced ROP.
- Careful management of these factors may help mitigate the burden of ROP in premature infants.
Objective:
Since a new epidemic (third wave) of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) sensed throughout the world in recent years, we aimed to assess newer risk factors for advanced ROP which needs treatment in Iranian neonates as a new target output of various neonatal care for this serious disease of newborn infants especially those born prematurely.
Methods:
In an analytic cross-sectional study all neonates <1500 g birth weight and/or <32 weeks gestational age admitted to our NICU as a tertiary level intensive care unit in Milad Hospital, Tehran, Iran during June 2006-June 2007 were included. All data were extracted from medical records and compared in two groups with or without treatment.
Findings:
Seventy one neonate infants entered our study. Twelve neonates (16.9%) progressed to advanced ROP. Final multivariate analysis model revealed that mean leukocyte counts during first 14 days of life (P=0.04), transfusions number (P=0.01) and hypocapnic episodes during first 14 days of life (P=0.02) were significantly different between the two groups of infants independently, even after simultaneous adjustment.
Conclusion:
Based on our findings, more amenable risk factors should be approached regarding more careful modulation of such overlooked risk factors which may lessen the burden of prematurity.
