A Review on the Incidence and Related Risk Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity Across Various Countries

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an ophthalmologic condition that is one of the leading causes of preventable childhood blindness. Due to the premature nature of blood vessels in preterm infants, retinal vessels are prone to damage. The incidence of ROP ranges with great variation across countries, and this study aims to identify the incidence and its related risk factors.A compilation of studies investigating the incidence of ROP was acquired through the PubMed and Google Scholar databases with a full free text in English filter set. All members of the study were involved in designating studies based on continent and arranging them into a table format. Following this, reasons for the variation in the incidence of ROP were investigated by individually assessing each study. The variation of an increased incidence of ROP seen in low-income countries (LICs) was most likely due to the availability of resources. As a preterm birth can give rise to further complications such as the development of sepsis, it is important to manage preterm birth with the utmost caution. Evidence has suggested that the two key variables in reducing the morbidity and mortality of ROP are the implementation of a screening and treatment protocol with controlled use of oxygen and the availability of resources in hospitals to adequately identify and manage ROP as early as possible.Through a comprehensive overview of the incidence of ROP, it is vital to review screening and treatment protocols in each hospital for ROP, which would aid in preventing its occurrence and initiating early treatment.

Prevalence, risk factors and severity of retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants in a tertiary care hospital in rural Karnataka

“…The infants may require oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation in RDS, both of which are risk factors for developing ROP. 4 In the present study, compared to no RDS, the odds of occurrence of ROP were 5.49 times (1.87 to 16.12) and There was a statistically significant link between the two factors (P value less than 0.05).…”

“…2 The course and presentation of ROP are determined by multiple risk factors which are interlinked with the pathogenesis of the development of the different stages of ROP. 4 Prematurely born infants are the ones who are at risk of developing ROP. Other factors like, low birth weight (LBW), problems with oxygenation, Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), multiple blood transfusions, Neonatal hyperbiluribinemia (NNHB), sepsis, multiple gestation and maternal factors like maternal anemia, pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have also been implicated in the causation of ROP.…”

Validation of postnatal growth and retinopathy of prematurity (G-ROP) screening guidelines in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan: A report from low-middle income country

“…In the US, standardized screening criteria according to the recommendations of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), America Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) includes babies with a gestational age (GA) of 30 wk or less or birth weight (BW) of <1501 gm [ 7 ]. However, research from LMICs indicates that 66% of infants weighing less than 1,250 gm and 82% of those under 1,000 gm developed ROP, with 9% requiring treatment [ 8 ]. These findings suggest that the standard screening criteria may not be suitable for LMICs, where more mature and heavier infants are also at risk of developing ROP [ 9 ].…”

Comparison of Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Laser Photocoagulation in the Treatment of Type I Retinopathy of Prematurity in Malaysia: A One-Year Follow-Up Study

“…The prevalence of ROP in Southeast Asia ranges from 11.9% to 40.7% [ 10 ]. In Malaysia, the prevalence is 17.4%, making it one of the leading causes of avoidable childhood blindness in the country [ 11 ].…”