Clinical research on incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity

Objective To investigate the incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods The objects studied were premature infants in NICU of Guangdong General Hospital from July 2006 to December 2008. We recorded the relevant data of the ROP which screened out, including possible risk factors and eye examination results. And then the data were analyzed retrospectively. Results In the 183 premature infants, 42 of them had ROP. The ROP incidence was 23%. The difference in prevalence of ROP between different genders was not statistical significant (P 0.05). The difference in prevalence of ROP among different birth weight groups was statistical significant, as well as in different gestational age groups (P 0.05). The chi-square tests showed that oxygen therapy, apnea, and pneumonia had great relationships with ROP(P 0.05). Conclusions The incidence of ROP is high. There are great relationships between gestational age, birth weight, oxygen therapy, apnea, pneumonia and ROP.