Abstract
Purpose:
The current screening criteria for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in China define a birth weight of less than 2000g or the gestational age of less than 34 weeks, which is different than what was used by the United States of America and United Kingdom. This study evaluated the incidence of ROP and the validity of current ROP screening criteria in China.
Methods:
A retrospective study of ROP indices was carried out in infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in Xinhua Hospital and Children’s Hospital, Shanghai, China, from June 2011 to May 2012. All infants who met the above screening criteria were reviewed for ROP diagnosis and related indices. This study was performed in accordance to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Xinhua Hospital and the Children’s Hospital.
Results:
2995 infants were screened and ROP was diagnosed in 537 infants (17.89%). 285 infants (9.51%) had type 1 or worse ROP and were treated with laser, cryocoagulation or vitrectomy. For patients having ROP, the mean GA was 29.9±2.3 weeks and mean BW was 1443.4±394.4 g. Infants who needed treatment for ROP had a mean GA of 29.5±2.1 weeks and mean BW of 1394.9±373.8 g. Only one infant greater than 2000 g BW and more than 34 weeks GA was treated for ROP. Among these treated infants, 16 (5.6%) infants exceeded UK screening criteria, and 38 (13.3%) exceeded the criteria used in the United States.
Conclusions:
Larger, older infants are at risk for ROP in China and screening criteria recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, United Kingdom, may not be suitable for China. Current ROP screening criteria in China seems reasonable and we do not recommend lowering current criteria for ROP screening.
Keywords: 706 retinopathy of prematurity •
463 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence