Neonatal retinal hemorrhages and influence of perinatal factors.

We studied fundus oculi in 234 newborns, divided into two groups of mothers and neonates with or without disease. The overall frequency or retinal hemorrhages was 30.3% (71 neonates). In each group, we studied the association between retinal hemorrhage and several variables of labor and the newborn infant. Statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of hemorrhage in one (2.6%) neonate born by cesarean section, as compared with 61 (38%) spontaneous or 9 (25%) forceps delivery.