Retinopathy of prematurity: perinatal risk factors

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the main risk factors for the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of Santa Casa de Misericordia de Ponta Grossa. Methods: Retrospective study, case-control, through the review of medical records from January / 2010 to December / 2014. Infants weighing ?1,500 grams at birth, ?37 weeks gestational age were included in this study and infants with congenital malformation, not submitted to funduscopy and with incomplete records were excluded. The risk factors were compared with univariate and multivariate analyzes. For the quantitative variables, the t test was used for the qualitative Fisher's exact test and, after univariate analysis we used logistic regression. Results: 172 neonates were selected and divided into two groups: controls 154 (89.5%) and 18 cases (10.5%). The factors studied were: gestational age, birth weight, Apgar at 1 and 5 minutes, use of surfactant, oxygen therapy time, FiO2 used, jaundice, need for phototherapy, development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolits, intracranial hemorrhage and surgeries. Before the univariate analysis gestational age, birth weight, APGAR at 1 and 5 minutes after birth, oxygen therapy time, maximum fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), need for surfactant, start time of jaundice and level of indirect bilirubin statistically significant (p Conclusion: The frequency of ROP was lower than that found in the literature, stage III predominated, 38.9% of premature infants with severe ROP benefited from photocoagulation, confirming that identification, screening and early treatment of premature are essential in preventing blindness