Frequency and severity of retinopathy of prematurity in a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease where retinal blood vessels do not develop normally and may cause visual damage and blindness. Objective(s): To determine the frequency and severity of ROP in preterm newborns. Method(s): A descriptive, comparative study was carried out within the 2009-2013 period. Patients' general characteristics were recorded, including gestational age and postmenstrual age at the moment of ophthalmologic examination, as well as ROP severity and type of treatment. Result(s): A total of 326 preterm newborns were included: 47.8 % (n = 156) had ROP; in 21.1 % it was severe (stage >= 3). Median gestational age was 28 weeks in preterm newborns with ROP, median birth weight was 1000 g, and median postmenstrual age at ophthalmological examination was 36 weeks. Of the infants with ROP, 71.1 % received treatment: 63.4 % of those who had mild ROP and 100 % of those with severe ROP. Conclusion(s): ROP frequency was high, higher than that reported in developed countries and similar to that in developing countries. The frequency of severe ROP was also higher. It is necessary for effective programs for the detection and opportune treatment of ROP to be established.Copyright © 2018, Academia Nacional de Medicina. All rights reserved.