Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Preeclampsia and Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: A Population-Based Study
Hsin-Chung Huang1, Hwai-I Yang2,3, Hung-Chieh Chou4
1Department of Pediatrics, Taipei City Hospital, Heping FuYou Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Maternal preeclampsia was not linked to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. This study found no increased risk for ROP development, even severe stages, in infants born to mothers with preeclampsia.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal research
- Ophthalmology
- Maternal-fetal medicine
Background:
- Preeclampsia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are linked to angiogenesis dysfunction.
- Existing research on the association between preeclampsia and ROP presents conflicting findings.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for high-risk infant care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal preeclampsia and the development of ROP in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.
- To clarify conflicting results from previous studies on this topic.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort study involving 5,718 VLBW infants from 21 neonatal departments in Taiwan.
- Maternal preeclampsia status was recorded.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ROP and severe ROP.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of mild ROP was 36.0% and severe ROP was 12.2%.
- Univariable analysis identified several risk factors for ROP, but maternal preeclampsia was not among them.
- Adjusted analyses showed no statistically significant association between maternal preeclampsia and any stage (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.84-1.20) or severe ROP (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.63-1.25).
Conclusions:
- Maternal preeclampsia is not associated with an increased risk of developing any stage or severe retinopathy of prematurity in very-low-birth-weight infants.
- These findings suggest that preeclampsia may not be a significant risk factor for ROP in this vulnerable population.
- Further research may explore other potential contributing factors to ROP in VLBW infants.
Abstract:
Preeclampsia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are associated with impaired angiogenesis. Previous studies on the relationship between preeclampsia and ROP have produced conflicting results. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal preeclampsia and ROP using a large population-based cohort of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from 21 neonatal departments registered in the database of the Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for preeclampsia with reference to ROP and severe ROP. A total of 5,718 VLBW infants (844 cases with maternal preeclampsia) were included for analysis. The overall incidences of mild and severe ROP were 36.0% and 12.2%, respectively. Univariable analysis showed lower GA and lower birth weight, vaginal delivery, non-SGA, RDS, PDA, sepsis, transfusion, and absence of maternal preeclampsia to be associated with mild and severe ROP development. However, OR (95% CI) adjusted for the variables that were significant according to univariable analysis showed the risks of developing any-stage ROP and severe ROP for maternal preeclampsia to be 1.00 (0.84-1.20) and 0.89 (0.63-1.25), respectively. The results remained unchanged in stratified analyses according to SGA status. Our data showed that maternal preeclampsia was not associated with the subsequent development of any stage or severe ROP in VLBW infants.
