Effect of fluctuation of oxygenation on the development of severe retinopathy of prematurity in extremely preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate factors associated with development of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely preterm (EP) infants.

STUDY

DESIGN

This retrospective cohort study included 213 EP infants (22 + 0 to 27 + 6 weeks gestation) who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital between 2009 and 2017. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify neonatal factors associated with severe ROP requiring treatment.

RESULT: After adjustments for gestational age (GA), birth weight, sex, red blood cell transfusion, average SpO2, and fluctuations of SpO2 from birth to 32 weeks postmenstrual age, fluctuations of SpO2 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-4.27), and low GA (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) were significantly associated with severe ROP.

CONCLUSIONS

Fluctuations of SpO2 from birth to 32 weeks postmenstrual age and low GA were significantly associated with development of severe ROP requiring treatment in EP infants.