Objective: To analyze the risk factors involved in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to report the incidence of ROP in premature infants from Mureș county, Romania.
Material and methods: Our study was based on a prospective study of premature infants with risk for developing ROP, based on international protocols, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from Tîrgu Mureș, between March 2008 and March 2010. In the study were included all the premature babies with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1500 g, and those with gestational age >32 weeks and birth weight >1500 g, but with unstable perinatal evolution. Ophthalmic examinations were started at 4–6 weeks after birth, and followed until complete resolution of ROP or complete maturation of the retina. We used Chi square test and Fisher test to estimated relative risk (RR), associated with the risk factors of ROP.
Results: In our group of 137 premature babies monitored, 22% were in different stages of ROP. The advanced types of illness that needed therapeutic intervention represented 3% of all premature babies monitored and 13% of all babies with ROP. We found a statistically significant association between low birth weight (≤1500 g), low gestational age (≤32 weeks), mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days, intrauterine risk factors (maternal preeclampsia), respiratory distress syndrome, and the development of ROP. We also found a statistically significant association between extremely low birth weight (≤1000 g) and the development of severe forms of ROP. The other followed risk factors (blood transfusion, anemia or sepsis) were not linked significantly to the risk of ROP development.
Conclusions: Despite progress in neonatal intensive care, ROP persists and can be explained by greater prematurity and early screening. Effective screening procedures performed between the 4th and 6th week of life can improve the prognosis of the disease.