Incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity in Medina city, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the most common cause of childhood blindness. It is a proliferative retinopathy of premature, low birth weight (BW) infants. This study aimed to report the incidence and risk factors of ROP in premature infants in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The data of premature infants recorded between January 2019 and December 2022 were reviewed. Gender, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, length of hospital stays, existence of systemic disorders, congenital anomalies, quantity and duration of oxygen therapy, presence of ROP, severity and location were all gathered and examined. Results: Among 101 premature infants, 25.74% had ROP and 65.4% had bilateral presentation. Patients who developed retinopathy had a lower gestational age and BW (p < 0.001*) than those who did not develop retinopathy. Moreover, they had statistically lower Apgar scores at 1 min and were exposed to longer duration of oxygen therapy (p < 0.05*) than patients who did not develop retinopathy. Conclusions: The incidence of ROP was 25.74% and low BW and low gestational age were independent main riskfactors for ROP development.