Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Electroretinogram Recording for Infants and Children under Anesthesia to Achieve Optimal Dark Adaptation and International Standards
Published on: September 3, 2020
Population-Based Cohort Study for Development of National Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening Criteria
R Gerull1,2, C Sanchez3, A Atkinson3,4
1Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
Screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can be optimized in Switzerland. Applying specific criteria could reduce screening burden by 56% while ensuring early detection of ROP.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening protocols differ globally.
- Early detection and efficient screening are crucial for managing ROP in premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate risk factors for ROP treatment in very preterm infants in Switzerland.
- To identify criteria for optimizing ROP screening protocols to reduce patient and healthcare burden.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from very preterm infants born in Switzerland (2006-2022).
- Logistic regression models were used to assess 17 potential risk factors for ROP treatment.
- Model performance was evaluated using the Area Under the Curve (AUC).
Main Results:
- 168 out of 11354 infants required ROP treatment.
- Implementing criteria such as gestational age < 27 weeks or birth weight < 1000g could have detected all treated cases and reduced screening by 56%.
- Significant risk factors identified include gestational age, birth weight z-score, duration of oxygen/mechanical ventilation, C-section, and congenital tumors. The predictive model achieved an AUC of 0.963.
Conclusions:
- Optimizing ROP screening criteria in Switzerland is feasible.
- A refined screening approach can maintain detection rates while significantly decreasing the screening burden.
Aim:
Screening criteria for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) vary among countries. Early detection of ROP and minimising the burden of screening are important.
Methods:
We analysed data from very preterm infants born in Switzerland between 2006 and 2022. Logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate 17 potential risk factors for ROP treatment.
Results:
168/11354 patients (median (range) gestational age (GA) 29.6 (23.0-31.9) weeks) required ROP treatment. All would have been detected and screening burden would have been reduced by 56% if screening had required meeting ≥ 1 of the following criteria: GA < 27 weeks (89.3%), birth weight < 1000 g (97.0%), intraventricular haemorrhage≥II° (24.0%), congenital tumour (1.2%). We identified six statistically significant risk factors for ROP: GA (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.46, 95% CI 0.40-0.52, p < 0.001), birth weight z-score (aOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46-0.73, p < 0.001), duration of supplemental oxygen (aOR 1.01 95% CI 1.01-1.02, p < 0.001), duration of mechanical ventilation (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02, p = 0.018), caesarean section (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.06-3.36, p = 0.038), and congenital tumour (OR 26.3, 95% CI 2.71-189, p = 0.002). The model allowed for excellent prediction of ROP treatment (AUC 0.963, 95% CI 0.944-0.981).
Conclusions:
Safely reducing the burden of ROP screening appears achievable in Switzerland.
