Retinopathy Of Prematurity In Infants Research Articles

Comparison of ranibizumab and conbercept treatment in type 1 prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity in zone II

PurposeThe treatment with anti-VEGF for Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has already been widely applied in clinics even though there are still many concerns about this treatment. In this project we investigated the clinical outcomes of intra-vitreous conbercept (IVC) and ranibizumab (IVR) injection for treating type 1 prethreshold ROP in Zone II.MethodsThe data of ROP infants receiving IVR or IVC from January 2017 to March 2020 who were followed up for at least 12 months in our hospital was studied in the present retrospective study. Regression, reactivation, complications, and ocular biological parameters were evaluated.ResultsOne hundred twenty-five eyes (64 infants) in IVC group and 229 eyes (117 infants) in IVR group were observed in the study. All infants showed good response to the two anti-VEGF agents. No eyes deteriorated during the observation. No significant difference was found between the two groups as to the regression within one week and one month, the reactivation rate, and the retreatment interval (p > 0.05) whereas retinal complete vascularization rate at 6 mons after the initial treatment and mean completion time of retinal vascularization after initial injection showed significant difference (p < 0.05). At 12 mons PMA the ocular parameters also presented no statistical difference between the two treated groups (p > 0.05). However, the ocular showed slight myopic tendency with the anti-VEGF treatment when compared to the control group (p < 0.05) whereas there was no statistical difference revealed between the two treated groups (p > 0.05).ConclusionsBoth conbercept and ranibizumab for treating type 1 prethreshold ROP in Zone II are safe and effective. They had little effect on the development of ocular whereas there was a slight tendency of myopia after the treatment.

Bilirubinemia and retinopathy of prematurity in infants ≤ 29 weeks' gestational age.

Bilirubin is a known antioxidant. We hypothesized that the degree of bilirubinemia is inversely associated with oxidative stress-mediated retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). A prospective study was performed to determine if bilirubinemia is associated with ROP in infants ≤ 29 wks' gestational age and birth weights ≤ 1000 g. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels were measured at least twice daily during the first week and at least daily during the second week to determine peak and mean TSB levels. The outcomes were the incidence and severity of ROP. Of 193 infants studied, 110 developed ROP: 53 had mild (stage 1 in zone 2 or 3); 31 had moderate (stage 2 in zone 2 or 3); and 26 had severe ROP ( ≥ stage 3 in any zone or any stage in zone 1). Mean TSB levels were associated with the severity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.47-0.98, p = 0.04), but not with the incidence of ROP (AOR 0.81, 95% CI:0.52-1.27, p = 0.3). Peak TSB levels were also associated with the severity (AOR 0.71, 95% CI:0.52-0.96, p = 0.02), but not with the incidence of ROP (AOR 0.71, 95% CI:0.48-1.01, p = 0.07). Bilirubinemia may be protective against severity of ROP. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease mediated by oxidative stress. Increasing antioxidant status may decrease the incidence and severity of ROP. Bilirubin is a known antioxidant; however, findings from observational studies evaluating the role of bilirubinemia against the incidence and/or severity of ROP in premature infants are conflicting. Our findings from this prospective study suggests that bilirubinemia may be protective against the severity of ROP.

An Interpretable System for Screening the Severity Level of Retinopathy in Premature Infants Using Deep Learning.

Accurate evaluation of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) severity is vital for screening and proper treatment. Current deep-learning-based automated AI systems for assessing ROP severity do not follow clinical guidelines and are opaque. The aim of this study is to develop an interpretable AI system by mimicking the clinical screening process to determine ROP severity level. A total of 6100 RetCam Ⅲ wide-field digital retinal images were collected from Guangdong Women and Children Hospital at Panyu (PY) and Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC). A total of 3330 images of 520 pediatric patients from PY were annotated to train an object detection model to detect lesion type and location. A total of 2770 images of 81 pediatric patients from ZOC were annotated for stage, zone, and the presence of plus disease. Integrating stage, zone, and the presence of plus disease according to clinical guidelines yields ROP severity such that an interpretable AI system was developed to provide the stage from the lesion type, the zone from the lesion location, and the presence of plus disease from a plus disease classification model. The ROP severity was calculated accordingly and compared with the assessment of a human expert. Our method achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-0.98) in assessing the severity level of ROP. Compared with clinical doctors, our method achieved the highest F1 score value of 0.76 in assessing the severity level of ROP. In conclusion, we developed an interpretable AI system for assessing the severity level of ROP that shows significant potential for use in clinical practice for ROP severity level screening.

Comparison of Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Laser Photocoagulation in the Treatment of Type I Retinopathy of Prematurity in Malaysia: A One-Year Follow-Up Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy, anatomical outcomes, and refractive outcomes of laser photocoagulation (LPC) and intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) in the treatment of type I retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at one-year follow-up. This is a retrospective study on the treatment of type I ROP and aggressive ROP (A-ROP) using LPC or IVR in three Malaysian hospitals providing pediatric ophthalmology services from January 2019 to December 2021. Information on gestational age, birth weight, ROP zone and stage, and underlying comorbidities was collected. Parameters for evaluating treatment efficacy include the time taken to achieve complete regression, the regression rate, and the reactivation rate. The anatomical and refractive outcomes were evaluated at one year of adjusted age. This study included 92 eyes from 46 infants. Of these, 42 eyes received LPC as the initial treatment, while 50 eyes underwent IVR. A higher percentage of infants with cardiovascular disease were treated with IVR (66.7%) compared to LPC (40%) (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in gestational age, birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, or intraventricular hemorrhage between the two treatment groups (p>0.05). Infants treated with LPC had a higher regression rate than those treated with IVR, but they were also significantly more myopic and had worse best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Conversely, infants treated with IVR experienced a significantly higher reactivation rate compared to those treated with LPC. Logistic regression analysis showed no significant associations between gestational age, birth weight, plus disease, zone 1 ROP, and the choice of initial treatment with the reactivation of ROP. Both LPC and IVR effectively treat type I ROP in infants, with IVR yielding superior anatomical and refractive outcomes and LPC offering a lower reactivation rate. Understanding individual patient characteristics is crucial for treatment selection.

Neonatal Sepsis Episodes and Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very Preterm Infants

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major morbidity of preterm infants causing visual impairment, including blindness, for which timely treatment is vital and prevention is key. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to neonatal sepsis contributes to ROP development. To investigate the association between neonatal sepsis and ROP in 2 large-scale cohorts of preterm infants born at less than 29 weeks' gestation. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the German Neonatal Network (GNN) and Norwegian Neonatal Network (NNN). The GNN involves 68 and the NNN includes 21 level III neonatal intensive care units. Participants were infants born at a gestation of 22 weeks and 0 days to 28 weeks and 6 days and enrolled in the GNN between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2022, and NNN between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2018. Data were analyzed from February through September 2023. Single or multiple episodes of culture-proven sepsis. Any ROP and treatment-warranted ROP. Among 12 794 infants in the GNN (6043 female [47.2%] and 6751 male [52.8%]; mean [SD] gestational age, 26.4 [1.5] weeks) and 1844 infants in the NNN (866 female [47.0%] and 978 male [53.0%]; mean [SD] gestational age, 25.6 [1.5] weeks), the mean (SD) birth weight was 848 (229) g and 807 (215) g, respectively. Any ROP was present in 6370 infants (49.8%) in GNN and 620 infants (33.6%) in NNN, and treatment-warranted ROP was present in 840 infants (6.6%) in GNN and 140 infants (7.6%) in NNN. In both cohorts, there were increasing rates of treatment-warranted ROP with each sepsis episode (no sepsis: 572 of 10 658 infants [5.4%] in GNN and 85 of 1492 infants (5.7%) in NNN; 1 episode: 190 of 1738 infants in GNN [10.9%] and 29 of 293 infants [9.9%] in NNN; 2 episodes: 53 of 314 infants in GNN [16.9%] and 13 of 49 infants [26.5%] in NNN; 3 episodes: 25 of 84 infants [29.8%] in GNN and 3 of 10 infants [30.0%] in NNN). After adjusting for multiple confounders in the GNN dataset, the number of sepsis episodes was associated with ROP and treatment-warranted ROP compared with 0 episodes (1 episode: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.44 [95% CI, 1.27-1.63]; P < .001 and OR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.31-1.96]; P < .001, respectively; 2 episodes: OR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.35-2.42]; P < .001 and OR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.68-3.37]; P < .001, respectively; 3 episodes: OR, 4.39 [95% CI, 2.19-8.78]; P < .001 and OR, 3.88 [95% CI, 2.29-6.55]; P < .001, respectively). These associations were confirmed for any ROP by propensity score matching (for example, the aOR with propensity score matching was 1.76 [95% CI, 1.54-2.02]; P < .001 for 1 episode vs 0 episodes and 1.58 [95% CI, 1.12-2.22]; P = .007 for 3 episodes vs 0 or 1 episode). In the NNN dataset, surgical NEC was associated with treatment-warranted ROP (multivariable analysis: aOR, 3.37 [95% CI, 1.78-6.37]; P < .001). This study found that in the large-scale GNN cohort, recurrent culture-proven sepsis was associated with ROP and treatment-warranted ROP in infants born at less than 29 weeks.

Oral DHA supplementation and retinopathy of prematurity: the Joinville DHA Clinical Trial.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in premature infants. The condition is associated with DHA deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of DHA supplementation on the occurrence of ROP in infants receiving oral oil drops. It is part of the Joinville DHA study, a non-parallel-group cohort study conducted from March 2020 to January 2023 at a public maternity hospital in Brazil. Infants born before 33 weeks of gestational age or with a birth weight ≤1500 g were recruited. Among 155 infants, 81 did not receive and 74 received DHA supplementation until complete vascularisation of the peripheral retina. There was a higher incidence of infants with ROP in the unsupplemented group (58·6%) compared with the DHA group (41·4%), but this difference was NS (P=0·22). Unadjusted logistic regression analysis showed that patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids were significantly (P<0·05) associated with ROP in both groups. In the DHA group, surfactant use was also associated with ROP (P=0·003). After adjusting for important covariates, patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids continued to be significant for infants in the unsupplemented group (OR=3·99; P=0·022 and OR=5·64; P=0·019, respectively). In the DHA group, only surfactant use continued to be associated with ROP (OR=4·84; P=0·015). In summary, DHA supplementation was not associated with ROP. Further studies are necessary to better understand the relationship between DHA supplementation, ROP and associated comorbidities.

Initiation of retinopathy of prematurity screening examinations in extremely premature infants

PurposeTo determine whether extremely premature infants require screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) if <31 weeks’ postmenstrual age (PMA). MethodsThe medical records of infants born in community hospital settings at <31 weeks’ gestational age (GA) were reviewed retrospectively. Prevalence and progression of ROP in infants born at <24 weeks’ GA were compared with infants born at 24-30 weeks’ GA. ResultsA total of 2,061 records were reviewed: 1,969 infants were born at 24-30 weeks’ GA; 92, at <24 weeks. Infants born <24 weeks’ GA were more likely to develop pre-plus and plus disease or require treatment than infants born 24-30 weeks’ GA (P < 0.0001) and did so earlier (P = 0.0001). Eight infants developed pre-plus or greater ROP <31 weeks’ PMA; 6 were born <24 weeks’ GA. Three infants developed plus disease or required treatment <31 weeks’ PMA, the earliest at 27 and 3/7 weeks. ConclusionsClinicians should consider initiating ROP screening examinations before 31 weeks’ PMA, particularly for infants born <24 weeks’ GA and those with lower birth weights.

Retinopathy of Prematurity in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at King Fahd University Hospital, Eastern Province: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and pattern of severity Seven years’ experience.

Background Premature newborns are susceptible to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a vasoproliferative disease of the developing retinal vessels, which is a major cause of potentially avoidable blindness. Due to geographical variations in newborn care, geographic variations in the epidemiology of ROP have been observed internationally during the last several decades. There was a correlation between the severity of the condition and the number of prenatal, postnatal, and other risk factors. This study aimed to examine the incidence and risk factors associated with retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants. Methods A retrospective review of preterm newborns evaluated for retinopathy of prematurity between January 2016 and December 2022 was carried out at King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU), Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Infants who fulfilled the screening criteria (GA &lt; 34 or Birth Weight (WT) ≤ 1500 g) underwent the screening test, and the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity was used to classify retinopathy of prematurity. Risk factors and demographic information regarding ROP were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 20) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results Among the 200 preterm neonates that were evaluated and admitted to neonatal critical care units, 37% exhibited premature retinopathy, with 46.7% of those cases being in stage 1. The development of ROP was linked to gestational age, length of mechanical ventilation, septicemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, respiratory distress syndrome, and septicemia, according to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Conclusion The incidence of total retinopathy in premature infants in this population was 37%. Evaluating these risk factors during the screening of high-risk premature infants will help determine the appropriate timing of examinations and treatment.

Validation of postnatal growth and retinopathy of prematurity (G-ROP) screening guidelines in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan: A report from low-middle income country.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) significantly contributes to childhood blindness globally, with a disproportionately high burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to improved neonatal care alongside inadequate ROP screening and treatment facilities. This study aims to validate the performance of Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity (G-ROP) screening criteria in a cohort of premature infants presenting at a tertiary care setting in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study utilized retrospective chart review of neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan from January 2018 to February 2022. The complete G-ROP criteria were applied as prediction tool for infants with type 1 ROP, type 2 ROP, and no ROP outcomes. Out of the 166 cases, 125 cases were included in the final analysis, and remaining cases were excluded due to incomplete data. ROP of any stage developed in 83 infants (66.4%), of whom 55 (44%) developed type 1 ROP, 28 (22.4%) developed type 2 ROP, and 19 (15.2%) were treated for ROP. The median BW was 1060 gm (IQR = 910 to 1240 gm) and the median gestational age was 29 wk (IQR = 27 to 30 wk). The G-ROP criteria demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.18% (95% CI: 90.28-99.95%) for triggering an alarm for type 1 ROP. The G-ROP criteria achieved 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 87.66 to 100%) for type 2 ROP. The overall sensitivity of G-ROP criteria to trigger an alarm for any type of ROP was 98.8% (95% CI: 93.47 to 99.97%). Thus, the G-ROP screening model is highly sensitive in detecting at-risk infants for ROP in a Pakistani tertiary care setting, supporting its use in LMICs where standard screening criteria may not suffice.

Identifying associations of human surfactant protein A SNPs and allelic variants with retinopathy of prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the primary cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Previous studies showed that allelic single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) variants of the human surfactant protein A genes (SP-A1, SP-A2) are associated with the development of respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). In this work, we hypothesized that SP-A SNPs and allelic variants are associated with altered risk of ROP in prematurely born infants. To test this hypothesis, we used a modified PCR-based method to detect variants of the SP-A1 and SP-A2 genes in a cohort of preterm infants. Infants born at &lt;32 weeks’ gestation and/or&lt;1500 grams were enrolled. Scavenged blood samples or cheek swabs were collected and DNA was extracted using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. We measured SNPs in SP-A1 and SP-A2 using Taqman probes for allelic discrimination by PCR or PCR/RFLP/sequencing method. Associations of SP-A1 and SP-A2 SNP allele frequencies with ROP and BPD were determined using chi-square and logistic regression analyses. Our results show that, of the total patient cohort (n=59), 42 patients had a BPD diagnosis (23 with ROP and 36 without ROP). DNA analysis of these samples identified associations of SP-A1 and SP-A2 SNPs and variants with ROP. For SP-A1, the following SNP associations were found for ROP using chi-square: rs1059047 (p=0.44), rs1136450 (p=0.63), rs1136451 (p=0.21), rs1059057 (p=0.52). For SP-A2, the following SNPs associations were identified with ROP: rs1059046 (p=0.51), rs17886395 (p=0.050), rs1965707 (p=0.031), rs1965708 (p=0.46). Logistic regression analysis indicated an association of ROP with the SP-A1 6A2 variant (p-value = 0.47, OR (6A2/*)=0.8036, 95%CI [0.2299 - 2.8082], OR (6A2/6A2) = 0.4327, 95%CI [0.1063 - 1.7615]), which conferred protection, as well as an association of ROP with SP-A2 6A2 (p-value = 0.0055) with decreased risk when 1A2 variant is present. We conclude that SP-A1/SP-A2 polymorphisms are associated with the presence of ROP in infants with BPD. The 6A4 SP-A1 and SP-A2 1A2 appear to confer protection in babies against ROP. Further studies will determine the mechanisms of this protective effect. Indiana University, University of Chicago Metcalf Internship Program Grant, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

A Narrative Review on Managing Retinopathy of Prematurity: Insights Into Pathogenesis, Screening, and Treatment Strategies.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a rare proliferative ocular condition that can happen in premature babies (born preterm<36 weeks)or who weigh <1.5 kgat birth (low birth weight babies). ROP is a major cause of childhood blindness. It is a premature diseasesince retina vascularization is completed only by 40 weeks of life. The survivability for preterm infants has increased owing to recent improvements in neonatal care during the past decade. As a result, the prevalence of ROP has risen concurrently. The abnormal development of blood vessels in the retina is the cause of this illness. It occurs in two phases, phases 1 and 2. Most preterm infants weighing <1.5 kg need supplemental oxygen for respiratory support at birth. This leads to the initiation of phase 1 (vasoconstrictive phase). Phase 1 is characterized by loss of maternal-fetal connection and hyperoxia due to supplemental oxygen therapy.Oxygen's vasoconstrictive and obliterative action is primarily observed in developing retinal vessels. The inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factorfollows from this.Phase 2 (vasoproliferative phase) showsthe dilatation and tortuosity of the bigger existing vessels together with neovascularization and proliferation of new vessels into the vitreous when the baby is shifted from respiratory support to room air. Now, the retina gets hypoxic, where the retina becomes more metabolically active but is yetminimally vascularized, leading to VEGF-induced vasoproliferation, which might result in retinal detachment. Patients with ROP face the danger of loss of vision. If correct and quick treatment is not provided, they might land into permanent blindness. Yet, ROP remains one of themost preventablecauses of childhoodblindnessworldwide. Blindness caused by ROP can only be avoided if screening programs are readily available, pertinent, and appropriate.The initial stage in the therapy of ROP is the screening ofpremature neonates. Timely screening and management for ROP is important to avoidthis irreversible loss of vision. The treatment is based on the severity of the disease. Management may include pharmacological interventions like intravitrealand anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and non-pharmacological interventions like laser surgery, vitrectomy, and scleral buckling. We conducted athorough literature search of studies onpathogenesis, risk factors, classification, and various treatment options for retinopathy of prematurity in infants, using a mixture of pertinent keywords.Only those studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2023 and written in English were included.Duplicate studies, unavailable in full-text for free, or studies unrelated to our subject matter were excluded. After thoroughly evaluating the selected studies, the results were synthesized and presented narratively. This article sheds light on the pathogenesis of ROP, particularly its relation to oxygen use, screening, and potential therapeutic management of ROP. Today advances in screening techniques have improved the outcomes for infants with ROP. Still, ongoingresearch is needed to optimize management strategies and reduce the burden of this condition.

Nomogram to predict severe retinopathy of prematurity in Southeast China.

To define the predictive factors of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and develop a nomogram for predicting severe ROP in southeast China. Totally 554 infants diagnosed with ROP hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and hospitalized in Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were included. Clinical data and 43 candidate predictive factors of ROP infants were collected retrospectively. Logistic regression model was used to identify predictive factors of severe ROP and to propose a nomogram for individual risk prediction, which was compared with WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model. Infants from the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (n=478) were randomly allocated into training (n=402) and internal validation group (n=76). Infants from Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were set as external validation group (n=76). Severe ROP were found in 52 of 402 infants, 12 of 76 infants, and 7 of 76 infants in training group, internal validation group, and external validation group, respectively. Birth weight [odds ratio (OR), 0.997; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.996-0.999; P<0.001], multiple births (OR, 1.885; 95%CI, 1.013-3.506; P=0.045), and non-invasive ventilation (OR, 0.288; 95%CI, 0.146-0.570; P<0.001) were identified as predictive factors for the prediction of severe ROP, by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. For predicting severe ROP based on the internal validation group, the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 78.1 (95%CI, 64.2-92.0) for the nomogram, 32.9 (95%CI, 15.3-50.5) for WINROP model, 70.2 (95%CI, 55.8-84.6) for Digirop-Birth model. In external validation group, AUC of the nomogram was also higher than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model (80.2 versus 51.1 and 63.4). The decision curve analysis of the nomogram demonstrated better clinical efficacy than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model. The calibration curves demonstrated a good consistency between the actual severe ROP incidence and the predicted probability. Birth weight, multiple births, and non-invasive ventilation are independent predictors of severe ROP. The nomogram has a good ability to predict severe ROP and performed well on internal validation and external validation in southeast China.

Genome-wide association identifies novel ROP risk loci in a multiethnic cohort

We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a multiethnic cohort of 920 at-risk infants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a major cause of childhood blindness, identifying 1 locus at genome-wide significance level (p < 5×10-8) and 9 with significance of p < 5×10-6 for ROP ≥ stage 3. The most significant locus, rs2058019, reached genome-wide significance within the full multiethnic cohort (p = 4.96×10-9); Hispanic and European Ancestry infants driving the association. The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) falls in an intronic region within the Glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger 3 (GLI3) gene. Relevance for GLI3 and other top-associated genes to human ocular disease was substantiated through in-silico extension analyses, genetic risk score analysis and expression profiling in human donor eye tissues. Thus, we identify a novel locus at GLI3 with relevance to retinal biology, supporting genetic susceptibilities for ROP risk with possible variability by race and ethnicity.

Early detection and correlation of tear fluid inflammatory factors that influence angiogenesis in premature infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity.

To measure the levels of inflammatory factors in tear fluid of pre-term infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The cross-sectional pilot study included 29 pre-term infants undergoing routine ROP screening. Pre-term infants were grouped as those without ROP (no ROP; n = 14) and with ROP (ROP; n = 15). Sterile Schirmer's strips were used to collect the tear fluid from pre-term infants. Inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, MCP1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1; CCL2), RANTES (Regulated on Activation, Normal T Cell Expressed and Secreted; CCL5), and soluble L-selectin (sL-selectin) were measured by cytometric bead array using a flow cytometer. Birth weight (BW) and gestation age (GA) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in pre-term infants with ROP compared with those without ROP. Higher levels of RANTES (P < 0.05) and IL-8 (P = 0.09) were observed in the tear fluid of pre-term infants with ROP compared with those without ROP. Lower levels of tear fluid IL-6 (P = 0.14) and sL-selectin (P = 0.18) were measured in pre-term infants with ROP compared with those without ROP. IL-8 and RANTES were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the tear fluid of pre-term infants with stage 3 ROP compared with those without ROP. Tear fluid RANTES level was observed to be inversely associated with GA and BW of pre-term infants with ROP and not in those without ROP. Furthermore, the area under the curve and odds ratio analysis demonstrated the relevance of RANTES/BW (AUC = 0.798; OR-7.2) and RANTES/MCP1 (AUC = 0.824; OR-6.8) ratios in ROP. Distinct changes were observed in the levels of tear inflammatory factors in ROP infants. The status of RANTES in ROP suggests its possible role in pathobiology and warrants further mechanistic studies to harness it in ROP screening and management.

Variations in medical practice of retinopathy of prematurity among 8 Asian countries from an international survey

Advances in perinatal care have led to the increased survival of preterm infants with subsequent neonatal morbidities, such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study aims to compare the differences of neonatal healthcare systems, resources, and clinical practice concerning ROP in Asia with review of current literature. An on-line survey at the institutional level was sent to the directors of 336 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in 8 collaborating national neonatal networks through the Asian Neonatal Network Collaboration (AsianNeo). ROP screening was performed in infants born at < 34 weeks in Indonesia and Japan. In South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan, most screened for ROP in infants born at < 32 weeks. In all networks, majority of NICUs conducted ROP screening to infants with birth weight < 1500 g. In most NICU’s in-hospital ophthalmologists performed indirect ophthalmoscopy and some were supplemented with digital imaging. Both laser photocoagulation and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection are performed for treatment and, vitreous surgeries are conducted less frequently in all countries. Despite limited information collected by the survey, this first study to compare ROP practices implemented in eight Asian countries through AsianNeo will enable an understanding of the differences and facilitate quality improvement by sharing better practices.

Treatment for retinopathy of prematurity in Sweden 2008-2021: Reduced gestational age of treated infants and remaining differences in treatment type and recurrence rates between hospitals.

This study aimed to investigate various aspects of treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Sweden over the past 14 years, nationally and at a hospital level. Data on screening and treatment for ROP in infants born in Sweden from 2008 to 2021 were extracted from the national ROP register, SWEDROP. During this period, Swedish screening guidelines were reduced from gestational age (GA) < 32 weeks to <31 weeks in 2012 and to <30 weeks in 2020. Altogether, 10 959 infants were screened and 600 infants treated for ROP during the study period. Parallel to changed guidelines, the number of screened infants decreased (p < 0.000) and the incidence of ROP and frequency of treatment increased (p < 0.001), while both remained similar in infants with a GA below 30 weeks. Among treated infants, GA and BW were reduced over the years (p < 0.001). Laser treatment (85.2% of primary treatments) became less common and anti-VEGF injections (13.6%) became more common over time (p < 0.001). Altogether 16 eyes were treated with the encircling band and 13 with vitrectomy. The total frequency of retreatment (32.7% of treated eyes) remained similar over time but was more common after primary anti-VEGF injection (67.7%) than laser treatment (27.2%). There were differences between the seven university hospitals regarding type of treatment and number of retreatments (p < 0.001). The frequency of treatment and retreatment for ROP remained similar over time, but the type of treatment changed and anti-VEGF injections became more common. Differences between treating hospitals emphasize the importance of centralizing the most severe cases.

The possible effect of light exposure reduction via eye patches after the examination for retinopathy in premature infants? An observational study in preterm neonates

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether infants with and without eye patches differ in terms of vital signs and clinical status after retinopathy of prematurity examination. Methods: Premature infants hospitalized in study center between June 2021-April 2022 were included. Group 1 is consisted of infants whose eyes were not closed after retinopathy of prematurity examination. Those infants whose eyes were closed eye-patches consisted of group 2. Vital signs were followed for 24 hours following the examination. Demographic, medical and follow-up data were all recorded prospectively. Vital signs were evaluated in accordance with birth week and weight. Pain score was evaluated by Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale. Results: Pain scores were found to be lower in group 2 (p &amp;lt; 0.020). Although the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean blood pressure values of group 2 were found to be lower than group 1, they were within normal limits (all p &amp;lt; 0.05). Vomiting was not observed at all in Group 1 (p = 0.036). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of fever, respiratory rate, heart rate, SpO2, and blood glucose values. Conclusions: This study showed that using an eye patch in infants after an eye examination reduces pain and increases comfort of infants. Although their pain scores are lower, taking necessary precautions are recommended for these patients in terms of vomiting. Thus, eye patches can be suggested as a non-pharmacological pain-reducing method after get advanced stagnation by the support of more studies with a larger number of participants.

Validation and Feasibility of the Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity Retinal Screening Criteria at a Level IV Tertiary Care Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is detected in preterm infants by standardized screening programs, but in general, they have poor sensitivity. The Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity (G-ROP) algorithm uses weight gain to predict ROP superior reported sensitivity. Our objectives are to (1) independently validate the sensitivity of G-ROP criteria for the detection of ROP in infants born at >28 weeks' gestation in a tertiary care unit in the United States and (2) to calculate the cost savings associated with a potential reduction in examinations. This is a retrospective analysis of retinal screening examination data, with post-hoc application of G-ROP criteria to determine whether G-ROP criteria had acceptable sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing Type 1 and Type 2 ROP. All infants born at >28 weeks who were screened by current American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmologists/American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines at Oklahoma Children's Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, between 2014 and 2019, were included. Subset analysis of infants screened by second tier criteria was also performed. Potential cost savings were estimated by analyzing frequency of billing codes. And by calculating the number of infants who could have potentially been spared examination. The G-ROP criteria had 100% sensitivity in detecting type 1 and 87.6% sensitivity in detecting type 2 ROP, which would have reduced infants screened by 50%. All infants in the second tier who would require treatment were detected. A cost saving of 49% was projected. The G-ROP criteria are easy to apply in real-world setting, thus establishing feasibility. The algorithm identified all cases of type 1 ROP; however, some cases of type 2 ROP were not detected. The annual savings in hospital examination cost by using these criteria would be 50%. Therefore, G-ROP criteria can safely be used to screen for ROP and may reduce the number of unnecessary examinations. · The G-ROP screening criteria are safe and predict 100% of treatment warranted ROP.. · Adoption of G-ROP criteria is feasible for level IV NICUs.. · Adoption of G-ROP screening guidelines will result in significant cost savings..

Associations of VEGF Polymorphisms With Retinopathy of Prematurity.

This study investigated the associations between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) risk. Infants born prematurely at any time from 2009 to 2018 were included. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VEGF were analyzed using real-time PCR in all infants. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to model the associations between VEGF polymorphisms and ROP susceptibility, severity, and premature clinicopathologic characteristics. A total of 334 patients were included and categorized into three groups: those without ROP, those with mild ROP (i.e., ROP not requiring treatment), and those with severe ROP (i.e., ROP for whom treatment was indicated). Among the female patients with ROP, those with VEGF rs3025035 CT (3.231-fold; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.238-8.431) and a combination of CT and TT genotypes (2.643-fold; 95% CI, 1.056-6.619) exhibited significantly higher risks of severe ROP compared with those with wild-type genotypes. Female ROP infants with VEGF rs3025010 C (TC + CC) alleles had a lower risk of ROP stage ≥3 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.406; 95% CI, 0.165-0.999) than those with TT homozygotes. ROP patients with the VEGF rs10434 A allele (GA + AA) exhibited higher risks of necrotizing enterocolitis (OR = 2.750; 95% CI, 1.119-6.759) and lower risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR = 0.390; 95% CI, 0.173-0.877) than those with GG homozygotes did. VEGF polymorphisms affect ROP risks differently in male and female infants. In female infants, VEGF rs3025035 with T alleles may predict ROP severity, and VEGF rs3025010 with C alleles may protect against severe ROP.

Incidence and Time of Onset of Retinopathy in Premature Infants in Korea

Purpose: This study examined the incidence and time of onset of retinopathy in premature infants in Korea.Methods: The medical records of premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from 2006 to 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Stages 1 and 2 were classified as mild retinopathy and stages 3 and 4 were considered severe. The incidence, severity, time of diagnosis, associations between retinopathy and birth weight and also gestational age, and clinical characteristics of the treated infants were analyzed.Results: The incidence of retinopathy was 10.9% with an average time of diagnosis at 34.92 weeks postmenstrual age; the frequency of severe retinopathy was 44.97%. Birth weight and gestational age were significantly lower in premature infants with retinopathy than in normal infants. In addition, birth weight was significantly lower in those with severe retinopathy than in those with mild retinopathy. For birth weight and gestational age, the incidence and severity of retinopathy tended to be higher in those with birth weights less than 1,000 g and gestational ages of less than 27 weeks. Of the infants, 4.51% underwent laser photocoagulation; the times of diagnosis, progression to type 1 retinopathy, and treatment were 33.75, 35.06, and 36.04 weeks postmenstrual age, respectively.Conclusions: The incidence and severity of retinopathy of premature infants increased in those with birth weights less than 1,000 g and gestational ages less than 27 weeks. Such infants should be monitored carefully between 32 to 36 weeks of postmenstrual age, when retinopathy is mainly diagnosed.