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INCIDENCE OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY IN VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS: INCREASING INCIDENCE AT LAST YEARS

Samanci N, Ovali F, Dagoglu T,

Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Capa-Istanbul-Turkey

Objective: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease affecting the blood vessels of the developing retina in premature infants. As advances in neonatology have allowed the survival of increasingly premature, lower birthweight babies, the frequency of retinopathy of prematurity has risen. We analysed the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in infants with a birtweight <1500g.

Methods: This study was performed between January 1993 and December 2000. The medical records of all pateints were analysed retrospectively.

Results: We observed that the incidence of retinopathy increased at last years. Especially the survival rates of the infants whose birthweight was under 1000 grams were higher last years. In our screening program 552 pretem infants weighing less than 1500 grams at birth underwent sequential ophtalmologic examinations beginning at age of 4 to 6 weeks. The incidence of ROP in the first three years was 62.5% of the infants with birthweight less than 1500 grams. But in the 2 last years the incidence of ROP increased to 68.5%. Cryotherapy was done within 72 hours of the detection threshold ROP.

Conclusion: These findings illustrate the importance of ROP screening program in preterm infants.