Incidence, risk factors, progression, and involution in retinopathy of prematurity at a tertiary care center in South India.

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasculoproliferative disorder of immature retina, seen in preterm babies. Multiple risk factors attribute to this condition. Our aim was to correlate the role of any early neonatal surgeries with low gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) on preterm babies as a risk factor on the progression of ROP.

Methods: A prospective, cohort study conducted in a hospital in South India over 3 years, including 600 babies with GA <35 weeks and BW <2500 g. Babies were divided into Group A (ROP) and Group B (no ROP). Group A included A1 (severe ROP) and A2 (nonsevere ROP) based on early treatment of ROP classification. We compared various risk factors of ROP, specifically the association of any early neonatal surgery undergone by these babies, on progression of ROP. The Chi-square test, unpaired -test, and one-way analysis of variance tests were used for the comparisons and considered statistically significant if < 0.05.

Results: 28.7% babies developed ROP, with 37.6% requiring treatment (Aggressive ROP in 2.1% of babies). Low GA and BW, longer duration on ventilator, respiratory distress syndrome, apnea of prematurity, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, sepsis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, history of blood transfusion, and history of early neonatal surgery under GA were associated with babies with ROP ( < 0.005), strongly with severe ROP. The most common surgeries undergone by the babies developing ROP were inguinal herniotomy under general anesthesia.

Conclusion: The study predicts preterm babies undergoing early surgical interventions are at risk of progressing to severe ROP, hence warranting frequent follow-ups.