Features of retinopathy of prematurityin a tertiary care hospital in Lahore

Objective: To study the demographic and clinical features of Retinopathy of Prematurity in urban Punjab. Methods: The cross-sectional study was performed at Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, from April 2010 to October 2013 and comprised neonates born with birth weight less than 2000g, gestational age less than 37 weeks, or those who were considered high risk for Retinopathy of Prematurity. Variables recorded included history, birth weight, gestational age, oxygen supplementation, development of Retinopathy of Prematurity, and laser treatment. Data was analysed using SPSS 17. Results: There were 285 neonates in the study with amean birth weight of 1280.34 ± 350.43g andmean gestational age being 29.38 ± 3.14 weeks. Overall, 167(58.6%) received supplemental oxygen, 86(30.2%) were anaemic and 44(15.4%) received blood transfusion. Besides, 47(16.5%) premature babies were product of multiple gestation, 34(11.9%) were having respiratory distress, 25(8.8%) had sepsis and received intravenous antibiotics, 70(24.6%) developed Retinopathy of Prematurity, and 22(7.7%) developed threshold disease and received laser treatment at mean gestational age of 32.11±2.53 weeks. Conclusion: Screening is key to preventing childhood blindness caused by Retinopathy of Prematurity. Prematurity, low birth weight and supplemental oxygen therapy are significant risk factors for the condition.