Objective: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) through a prospective multicenter study.
Methods: Eleven children's or maternal & child hospitals participated in a collective network. All infants of birth weight < 2000 g, born in or transferred to one of the participating centers from January 1st 2005 to February 28th 2006 were recruited. Timely ophthalmologic examinations were performed. The relevant data at baseline and endpoints were collected at each unit.
Results: A total of 882 preterm infants fulfilled the screening criteria and 752 finished a followup. And 123 infants (16.4%) had some degree of ROP. Infants with ROP had a lower gestational age, birth weight and a longer duration of oxygen versus those without ROP [(30.82 +/- 0.20) weeks vs (32.56 +/- 0.09) weeks, (1430 +/- 25) g vs (1636 +/-10) g, (11.6 +/- 1.4) d vs (4.4 +/- 0.3) d]. Through a univariate analysis, birth weight, gestational age, asphyxia, oxygen duration > 5 days, apnea, surfactant usage, pneumonia, anemia, blood transfusion, acidosis and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) were associated with ROP (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight (OR = 0.998), apnea (OR = 1.653) and blood transfusion (OR = 1.763) were independent risk factors for ROP.
Conclusion: Asphyxia, oxygen duration > 5 days, surfactant usage, anemia, acidosis and NRDS, lower birth weight, apnea and blood transfusion may improve the risks of ROP.