Author Affiliations: Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China (Liu L, Tian T); Biomedical Engineering Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China (Zheng CX); Institute for Mother and Child Care (IOMC) of Bucharest Medical University, Sector 2, 72309, Romania (Ileana V, Ioana A, Tatiana C, Oana R)

Corresponding Author: Li Liu, MD, Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China (Tel: 86-29-85323829; Fax: 86-29-85263190; Email: nellie918@yahoo.com.cn)

doi:10.1007/s12519-009-0058-6

Background: With the increasing survival rates of preterm infants, the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is also increasing. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for ROP in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and the effects of laser therapy.

Methods: Thirty-five premature infants with various other diseases were studied. Data were collected including gender, gestational age, birth weight, maternal gravidity, Apgar score, antenatal and postnatal hypoxia, anemia, jaundice, infection, pregnancy complications, and head ultrasound manifestations. All patients were subjected to fundus examinations at a postmenstrual age of 34 weeks using an indirect ophthalmoscope. The infants were divided into ROP group and non-ROP group. Infants with ROP received laser treatment. The data of the infants were analyzed using univariate analysis and the logistic regression model.

Results: Twenty-seven (77.1%) of the 35 infants had ROP and 21 of them also had plus diseases. The recovery rates were 74.1% and 92.6% at 2 weeks and 3 months after laser therapy, respectively. The birth weight and gestational age in the ROP group were significantly lower than those in the non-ROP group (P<0.01). The lower the gestational age and birth weight, the higher the incidence of ROP. There was a significant difference in the incidence of ROP with postnatal hypoxia (P=0.013), anemia (P=0.012) and gravidity two (P<0.05), analyzed with the Fisher's exact probability test (P<0.05). The gestational age was significantly lower in the plus disease group than in the non-plus disease group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The incidence of ROP is high in premature infants with various other diseases and is correlated with birth weight, gestational age, postnatal hypoxia, anemia and maternal gravidity. Laser therapy shows good outcomes.

Key words: laser therapy; premature infant; retinopathy of prematurity; risk factor

                   World J Pediatr 2009;5(4):304-307