Frequency of retinopathy of prematurity in premature neonates with a birth weight below 1500 grams and a gestational age less than 32 weeks: a study from a tertiary care hospital in a lower-middle income country

Authors

Arjumand Sohaila, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Iqtidar Ahmed Khan, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Huba Atiq, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Ali Syed Muhammad Akhtar, Aga Khan University
Prem Kumar, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Kishwer Kumar, Aga Khan University

Document Type

Article

Department

Emergency Medicine; Women and Child Health

Abstract

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a treatable cause of blindness in neonates. In Pakistan, ROP is often not recognized early because screening and treatment programs are not yet in place in most neonatal units, even in tertiary care hospitals. It is hoped that this report will help inform medical professionals of the magnitude of the problem and help to design appropriate management strategies.

Objectives: The aim was to determine the frequency of ROP in premature and very low birth weight (BW) neonates (BW(GA)weeks).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Study Setting : Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

Study Duration : From June 2009 to May 2010.

Subjects and Methods : Neonates with a Birth weight (BW)(GA)examination, or were referred for a ROP eye examination as an outpatient, were included in the study. GA was estimated from intrauterine ultrasound findings. Neonates with major congenital malformations, syndromes or congenital cataracts or tumors of the eyes, and those that died before the eye examination or did not attend the out patients department for an eye examination, were excluded. The neonatal eye examination was performed by a trained ophthalmologist at 4 or 6 weeks of age.

Results : Out of 86 neonates, ROP was identified in nine neonates (10.5%) at the first eye examination. ROP was significantly associated with BW (P = 0.037), GA (P = 0.033), and chronological age (P<0.001).

Conclusions : we identified ROP in 10.5% of neonates at first eye examination. Significant associations between ROP and a GABWdiagnosis.

Publication (Name of Journal)

PloS one

Recommended Citation

Sohaila, A., Tikmani, S. S., Khan, I. A., Atiq, H., Akhtar, A. M., Kumar, P., Kumar, K. (2014). Frequency of retinopathy of prematurity in premature neonates with a birth weight below 1500 grams and a gestational age less than 32 weeks: a study from a tertiary care hospital in a lower-middle income country. PloS one, 9(7).
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_emerg_med/45

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