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Effect of intravitreal bevacizumab for retinopathy of prematurity on weight gain
Shumpei Obata1, Yusuke Ichiyama1, Riko Matsumoto1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
Insights
Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) may temporarily slow body weight gain in infants. This effect is more pronounced in premature infants with lower birth weights.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) is a treatment option for ROP, but its systemic effects require evaluation.
- Understanding the impact of IVB on infant growth is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the short-term impact of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on body weight gain in infants diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Main Methods:
- A retrospective case-control study involving 1:1 matching of infants with ROP treated with IVB or photocoagulation (PC).
- Body weight gain was compared over three periods: 7 days pre-treatment, 7 days post-treatment, and 7–14 days post-treatment.
- Infants were matched based on body weight at the time of treatment (within 100 g).
Main Results:
- The first week post-treatment showed significantly lower body weight gain in the IVB group compared to the PC group (86 g vs. 145 g, P=0.046).
- Body weight gain in the pre-treatment and second post-treatment weeks was comparable between groups.
- A notable inhibitory effect on body weight gain was observed in infants weighing less than 1500 g at treatment.
Conclusions:
- Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) may exert a short-term inhibitory effect on body weight gain in infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
- This effect appears more pronounced in infants with lower body weights at the time of IVB treatment.
Purpose:
To evaluate the short-term effect on body weight (BW) gain after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Methods:
This was a retrospective 1:1 matched case-control study. Infants with ROP treated by IVB or photocoagulation (PC) at Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital between April 2010 and December 2019 were included in the study. To match BWs at treatment between the IVB and PC groups, 1:1 matching for BWs at treatment within 100 g was performed. The BW gains for the 7 days before treatment (pre-treatment week), the 7 days after treatment (first post-treatment week), and the period from 7 to 14 days after treatment (second post-treatment week) were compared between the IVB and PC groups.
Results:
Following 1:1 matching, 13 infants in both groups were enrolled in the analysis. The weekly BW gain for the first post-treatment week was significantly lower in the IVB group compared with the PC group (86 g vs. 145 g; P = 0.046), whereas the weekly BW gains for the pre-treatment week (173 g vs. 159 g; P = 0.71) and the second post-treatment week (154 g vs. 152 g; P = 0.73) were comparable between the two groups. The short-term inhibitive effect of IVB on BW gain was particularly observed in infants weighing less than 1500 g at treatment (<1500 g: 47 g vs. ≥1500 g: 132 g; P = 0.03).
Conclusion:
IVB could have a short-term inhibitive effect on BW gain in infants with ROP, and this effect is more likely to occur in infants with a lower BW at the time of treatment.
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