Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Model for Ischemic Retinal Diseases in Rodents
Published on: September 16, 2020
Can a Risk Factor Based Approach Safely Reduce Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity?
K M Friddle1, B A Yoder2, M E Hartnett3
1College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Insights
A risk-based approach can safely reduce retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening for premature infants born at 29 to 32 weeks gestation. This method identifies all infants with severe ROP while decreasing unnecessary screening exams.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal ophthalmology
- Perinatal medicine
- Public health screening
Background:
- Current American guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening lack precision for infants born at ≥ 30 weeks gestation with birth weights between 1500 and 2000 grams.
- There is a need for a more refined screening strategy to avoid unnecessary examinations in premature infants at low risk for severe ROP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a risk factor-based approach for screening premature infants at low risk for severe ROP.
- To determine if a targeted screening strategy can reduce the number of infants undergoing ROP screening examinations.
Main Methods:
- A 13-year retrospective review of data from Intermountain Health Care (IHC) was conducted.
- Neonates born at ≤ 32 weeks gestation were analyzed for ROP screening and development of severe ROP (defined as stage ≥ 3 or requiring laser therapy).
- Regression analysis identified significant risk factors associated with severe ROP.
Main Results:
- Of 2791 eligible neonates (born ≤ 32 weeks), 9.3% (260) developed severe ROP.
- Among infants born at ≥ 29 weeks gestation (n=1601), only 0.7% (11) had severe ROP, and all possessed at least two identified ROP risk factors.
- Implementing a risk-based screening strategy could have reduced screening by 21% (343/1601) in the studied population.
Conclusions:
- Limiting ROP screening for infants born at 29 to 32 weeks gestation to those with identified clinical risk factors is a viable strategy.
- This approach significantly reduces the number of screening examinations required while ensuring that all infants with severe ROP are identified.
Abstract:
Objective. Current American retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening guidelines is imprecise for infants ≥ 30 weeks with birth weights between 1500 and 2000 g. Our objective was to evaluate a risk factor based approach for screening premature infants at low risk for severe ROP. Study Design. We performed a 13-year review from Intermountain Health Care (IHC) data. All neonates born at ≤32 weeks were reviewed to determine ROP screening and/or development of severe ROP. Severe ROP was defined by stage ≥ 3 or need for laser therapy. Regression analysis was used to identify significant risk factors for severe ROP. Results. We identified 4607 neonates ≤ 32 weeks gestation. Following exclusion for death, with no retinal exam or incomplete data, 2791 (61%) were included in the study. Overall, severe ROP occurred in 260 (9.3%), but only 11/1601 ≥ 29 weeks (0.7%). All infants with severe ROP ≥ 29 weeks had at least 2 identified ROP risk factors. Implementation of this risk based screening strategy to the IHC population over the timeline of this study would have eliminated screening in 21% (343/1601) of the screened population. Conclusions. Limiting ROP screening for infants ≥ 29 and ≤ 32 weeks to only those with clinical risk factors could significantly reduce screening exams while identifying all infants with severe ROP.
Related Concept Videos
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
01:20The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:12Relative Risk
01:27Diabetic Retinopathy