Incidence and Risk Factors Associated with Retinopathy of Prematurity in Peru

The purpose of this research is to determine retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) prevalence and possible risk factors associated with ROP development in newborns admitted to a neonatal unit of a Peruvian National Reference Hospital.

This retrospective study included 216 preterm infants. The data were collected between January 2016 and December 2018. All infants were examined according to Peruvian guidelines for screening and treatment of ROP. The association of clinical risk factors and the development of ROP was analyzed and predictive factors were determined.

The study subjects were 216 preterm infants of which 72 had some stage of ROP (32 stage 1; 23 stage 2 and 17 stage 3) and 144 preterm infants without ROP. The incidence of ROP in preterm infants less than 32 weeks was 60.9%, while for those weighing less than 1500 g it was 71.6%. The factors associated with ROP were gestational age below 32 weeks, birth weight below 1500 grams, neonatal sepsis, oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, hyaline membrane disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, persistence of ductus arteriosus and intraventricular hemorrhage. Exclusive breastfeeding was found to play a protective role against ROP. Binary logistic regression analysis found that only gestational age below 32 weeks (OR, 2.637; 95% CI, 1.04-6.69), weight below 1500 grams (OR, 4.377; 95% CI, 1.75-10.92), neonatal sepsis (OR, 6.517; 95% CI, 2.81-15.14), vaginal delivery (OR, 3.748; 95% CI: 1.54-9.14), and the presence of hyaline membrane disease (OR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.47-8.74) are predictors of ROP.

The incidence of ROP among very low birth weight infants was 71.6%. Infants with weight below 1500 grams, neonatal sepsis, presence of hyaline membrane disease whose mother had vaginal delivery are at risk for the development of ROP. Thus, preventing premature births and encouraging exclusive breastfeeding are two main ways to prevent ROP.