Yield of Early Examination for Aggressive Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Retrospective Study

The national guidelines for evaluation of aggressive retinopathy of prematurity (AROP) in preterm neonates recommend the first examination at 2-3 weeks of age. This retrospective study investigated the yield of AROP checks performed at 3 weeks of postnatal age in neonates delivered between 23 and 28 weeks of gestation. Of the 260 eye examinations done at 3 weeks of age, none resulted in need for therapy for ROP over the ensuing week. Feed intolerance and cardiorespiratory events were noted after/during the AROP screening in one-third of the neonates. The median (Q1, Q3) time gap between the first AROP screening and any need for therapy was 8 (5, 9) weeks. This suggests that more evidence from prospective studies is required to corroborate the existing national guidelines for early retinal examinations.