Abstract
Background and objectivesAdvances in neonatal care promoted increased survival rates of preterm infants, with a consequent increase in the number of children affected by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study estimates the incidence of ROP and evaluates potential risk factors associated.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of preterm infants born in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit was conducted from March 2005 to August 2015. Six hundred and thirty-nine newborns were included based on the following criteria: infants born with less than 32 weeks’ gestation or birth weight below 1500 g; or neonates born with 32–37 weeks’ gestation or birth weight above 1500 g and any of the following associated: multiple gestation, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, blood transfusions or intraventricular hemorrhage. Neonates were followed up until disease resolution or until treatment criteria was achieved.ResultsA total of 602 newborns were evaluated after applying the exclusion criteria. Mean gestational age was 30.7 ± 2.5 weeks. The incidences of ROP at any stage and of type 1 prethreshold ROP were 33.9 and 5.0% respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors associated with ROP at any stage were extremely low birth weight (ELBW) (odds ratio [OR] = 3.10; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]:1.73–5.55), pulmonary diseases (OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.35–4.59), intraventricular hemorrhage (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.10–4.30), and low gestational age (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73–0.91). The main risk factors associated with type 1 prethreshold ROP were pulmonary diseases (OR = 9.58; 95% CI: 1.27–72.04) and ELBW (OR = 3.66; 95% CI: 1.67–8.00).ConclusionThis study found a significant incidence of ROP (33.9%) in the studied population, and highlighted pulmonary diseases as a significant risk factor for type 1 prethreshold ROP.
Highlights
Background and objectivesAdvances in neonatal care promoted increased survival rates of preterm infants, with a consequent increase in the number of children affected by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)
The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of ROP and to assess the association between ROP and potential risk factors for this condition, type 1 prethreshold ROP, in newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a Brazilian tertiary hospital
Conclusion the incidence of ROP in our study was at intermediate levels compared to Brazilian studies with analogous design, our mean incidence was very similar to worldwide results, as the Vermont Oxford Network database
Summary
Background and objectivesAdvances in neonatal care promoted increased survival rates of preterm infants, with a consequent increase in the number of children affected by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a condition characterized by the development of abnormal retinal vessels secondary to an incomplete vascularization of the retinal tissue due to hyperoxia causing downregulation of VEGF and death of endothelial cells. The disease has been extensively studied worldwide due to increased survival rates among very low birth weight preterm newborns (NBs), i.e. with birth weight (BW) ≤ 1500 g, who are at the greatest risk for developing ROP. These increased numbers may be attributed to improved perinatal care.
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