Pinaki Sengupta1, Sheuli Kumar2, Mohua Mazumdar3, Soumyadeep Majumdar4 Manideepa Pande5
BACKGROUND
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the leading causes of ocular morbidity
and mortality throughout the world. Prematurity, low–birth, and oxygen therapy
are considered to be the common risk factors. The maldeveloped retina in those
affected are very much prone to develop refractive error, neo-vasculopathy, and
neurosensory detachment. The purpose of our study was to find out the incidence
and ascertain the risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity among the neonates
attending the sick neonatal care unit and OPD of Calcutta National Medical College
& Hospital.
METHODS
This is an institution based cross-sectional observational study conducted in the
sick newborn care unit of a tertiary care hospital. Informed consent was obtained
from the parents along with proper birth history. Indirect ophthalmoscopy with a
+ 20 dioptre (+ 20 D) lens with a paediatric scleral depressor was performed in
each eye under the guidance of the neonatologist after pupillary dilatation. If
either eye was found to have ROP, the baby was considered as an ROP case in
the study and each eye was considered as a single case.
RESULTS
50.27 % babies (N = 91) were delivered by Lower Uterine Segment Caesarean
Section (LSCS) and 55. 24 % babies were < 32 weeks of gestational age whereas
21.45 % (N = 39) babies were having < 1500 gm birth weight. Phototherapy was
needed in 50 % of the babies (N = 92) whereas hyperbilirubinemia was present
in 59.66 % of total babies. Bradycardia, apnoea, and sepsis were present in 29.83
% (N = 54), 25.41 % (N = 46), 41.98 % (N = 76) of the babies respectively.
When compared in the two independent groups (ROP present and absent), low
gestational age and low birth weight of the babies were found to be statistically
significant (P < 0.05) for the development of ROP. After adjusting with different
factors in the regression model we have found that low birth weight and oxygen
therapy after birth were statistically significant with the development of ROP (P <
0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
ROP screening, specifically for those babies with low-birthweight, low gestational
age, and those who received oxygen therapy for other systemic reasons, is
mandatory to have an early diagnosis and treatment done.
