Association between assisted reproductive technology and advanced retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE: To investigate the associations between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment.

METHODS

Retrospective analyses of inborn preterm infants screened for severe ROP at the Weill Cornell Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital by single factor logistic regression and multifactor models.

RESULTS

Of 399 ethnically diverse infants, 253 were conceived naturally and 146 by ART. Eight (3.16%) patients conceived naturally, and 11 (7.53%) with ART required laser treatment. In multifactor analyses, significant risks for severe ROP requiring treatment included both gestational age (odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23-0.52; P < 0.001) and ART ([OR] 4.70; [CI], 1.52-4.57; P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

ART is associated with severe ROP requiring treatment in this cohort. This is the first report that demonstrates a statistically significant association between ART and severe ROP requiring treatment in infants in the US.