Prevalence and related factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants in ophthalmology clinic of Birjand University of Medical Science from 2014 to 2016

Introduction: The prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity is expected to increase along with the developing of premature infants’ care and better prognosis of these infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants. Methods: According to this cross-sectional study, one same ophthalmologist examined the eyes of all the babies at 4 weeks postnatally or 32 weeks post-conceptional age, whichever was earlier, for all premature infants under 37 weeks and those who had ROP risk factor. These infants were referred to the ophthalmology clinic of Vali-asr Hospital by neonatologists and pediatricians. History and risk factor was assessed by the neonatologist on admission time. Data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 19) using Chi-square, and Fisher's Exact Test. The significance level was considered P < 0.05. Results: A total of 209 patients were referred to the ophthalmologic clinic of Vali-asr hospital of whom 15 infants (7.2%) were diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity. The prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity had a significant relationship with gestational age and birth weight. However, there were no significant associations with other risk factors (gender, oxygen, respiratory distress, sepsis, and phototherapy). Conclusions: Overall, the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity in our study was lower than that of other studies. Excellence in pre- and neonatal care, screening and early treatment of retinopathy of prematurity are keys to preventing vision loss induced by this disease. It is mandatory to ensure that these newborns have regular ophthalmologic support.