Maternal diabetes mellitus as an independent risk factor for clinically significant retinopathy of prematurity severity in neonates less than 1500g.

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant morbidity in preterm babies. Multiple risk factors for severe ROP have been extensively studied, however, only a few studies have included maternal diabetes mellitus (MDM) in their assessment. ROP and diabetic retinopathy are both retinal vascular diseases in which there is leakage and/or neovascularization from damaged retinal vessels.