Diagnosis and Risk Factors in Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Five-Year Single-Center Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neonatology
• Perinatal Medicine

Background:

• Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
• Early detection and management are crucial to prevent severe visual outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and screening outcomes of ROP in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
• To identify risk factors associated with ROP development in premature infants.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records of 454 premature infants screened for ROP.
• Inclusion criteria: birth weight ≤ 1500 g or ≤32 weeks gestational age, or higher birth weight/gestational age with unstable clinical course.
• Data collected included demographics, risk factors, ocular findings, and treatment requirements.

Main Results:

• ROP incidence was 16.6% (75/454 infants), with a mean gestational age of 30.19 weeks and mean birth weight of 2025.15 g.
• Stage I and II ROP were observed in 14.8% and 1.8% of infants, respectively; no advanced-stage ROP was detected.
• Independent risk factors for ROP included lower gestational age, intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, and surfactant treatment.

Conclusions:

• Lower gestational age and birth weight are primary risk factors for ROP.
• The ROP incidence in this cohort was lower than in similar national studies.
• The absence of treatment-requiring ROP cases may be attributed to the higher mean gestational age and birth weight of the infants in this NICU.