Abstract:

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity. METHODS: Results of ROP screening of the four-year period (from 1 January 2011 to 27 December 2014) were assessed retrospectively. Data of preterm newborns with and without intervention for ROP were compared with statistics of Student T and Ki square tests. Variables that are found significant for ROP with intervention were examined with logistic regression analysis in terms of independent risk factors. ROP was detected in 386 preeterms with an average gestational age of 28.6 ± 1.9 weeks and birth weight of 1085 ± 287 and patients without ROP with an average gestational age of 30.3 ± 1.7 weeks and birth weight of 1413 ± 298, respectively. The overall incidence of ROP was 43.4%. Patients with ROP were grouped into with and without intervention; 114 preterms with intervention (29.5%) had a average gestational age of 27.43 ± 2.03 weeks and birth weight 969 ± 276 g and 272 preterms without intervention (70.5%) had a average gestational age of 29.07 ± 1.73 weeks and birth weight 1134 ± 278 g. Male gender, the absence of antenatal steroid, chorioamnionitis, respiratory distress syndrome, inotrope use, erythrocyte transfusion, sepsis, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, and total oxygen use were found significantly higher in the preterms with intervention than the preterms without intervention. On the contrary, gestational age and birthweight birth weight were found significantly lower in the premeterms with intervention. Gestational age, male gender, and erythrocyte transfusion were identified as independent risk factors. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: ROP remains a crucial issue in excessively preterm newborns who have increased survival rates. Reduction of risk factors may decrease the morbidity of ROP.

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