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Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and ROP treatment in Switzerland 2006-2015: a population-based analysis
Roland Gerull1,2, Viviane Brauer1, Dirk Bassler3
1Department of Neonatology, Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Insights
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatment incidence in Switzerland is low and stable. Infants born at 29 weeks or later have a very low risk of severe ROP, suggesting updated screening criteria may be possible.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a serious complication of preterm birth, potentially causing vision loss.
- Increasing survival rates of extremely preterm infants may impact ROP incidence requiring treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence of ROP and severe ROP (sROP) requiring treatment in Switzerland.
- To evaluate trends in ROP treatment over a 10-year period.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort analysis of very preterm infants (gestational age < 32 weeks) born between 2006-2015.
- Data sourced from the SwissNeoNet registry.
- Patient characteristics stratified by gestational age (GA).
Main Results:
- Overall ROP incidence was 9.3%, severe ROP (sROP) was 1.8%, and ROP treatment was 1.2%.
- Infants with GA 24-25 weeks had the highest treatment rates (14.5%, 7.3%).
- Incidence of ROP treatment remained stable (0.8%-2.0%) and did not increase over time.
Conclusions:
- ROP treatment incidence in Switzerland is low and stable.
- The low incidence of sROP in infants born at GA ≥ 29 weeks suggests potential for revising screening criteria.
Background:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a severe complication of preterm birth and can lead to severe visual impairment or even blindness if untreated. The incidence of ROP requiring treatment is increasing in some developed countries in conjunction with higher survival rates at the lower end of gestational age (GA).
Material And Methods:
The incidence of ROP and severe ROP (sROP) requiring treatment in Switzerland was analysed using the SwissNeoNet registry. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of very preterm infants with a GA below 32 weeks who were born between 2006 and 2015 in Switzerland. Patient characteristics were stratified according to GA.
Results:
9.3% and 1.8% of very preterm infants in Switzerland developed ROP of any stage and sROP, respectively. The incidence of ROP treatment was 1.2%. Patients with 24 and 25 weeks GA had the highest proportion of ROP treatment at 14.5% and 7.3%, respectively, whereas the proportion of treated infants at or above a GA of 29 weeks was 0.06%. Similarly, the risk of sROP declined strongly with increasing GA. During the observation period of 10 years, the incidence of ROP treatment ranged between 0.8% and 2.0%. Incidences of sROP or ROP treatment did not increase over time.
Conclusion:
The incidence of ROP treatment in Switzerland is low and was stable over the analysed period. The low incidence of sROP in patients with a GA of 29 weeks or more leaves room for a redefinition of ROP screening criteria.
