Possible roles of bilirubin and breast milk in protection against retinopathy of prematurity.

Aim: To explore the association of serum bilirubin level and breast milk feeding with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study to examine the independent and combined effects of serum bilirubin and breast milk feeding on ROP risk in infants <32 weeks gestation or with birth weight <1500 g. Cases (66 infants with ROP) were matched with controls (66 infants without ROP) based on factors known to affect ROP risk.