# Incidence and Risk Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity at the Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Saudi Arabia

## TL;DR

This study examines how often retinopathy of prematurity occurs in preterm infants and identifies key risk factors like low birth weight and early gestational age.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific risk factors and cut-off thresholds for ROP in a Saudi Arabian hospital setting.

## Key findings

- 19.9% of preterm infants developed ROP.
- Gestational age <28 weeks and birth weight <1,000 g were significant risk factors.
- Vaginal delivery and intraventricular hemorrhage also increased ROP risk.

## Abstract

Background

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder that affects preterm infants, potentially leading to blindness in a considerable percentage of these neonates. This study aimed to determine the incidence of ROP and its associated risk factors at a tertiary eye care center.

Methodology

This study followed a retrospective research design at the Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Saudi Arabia. The electronic hospital records for neonates born from January 2020 to December 2021, with a gestational age <32 weeks, birth weight ≤1,500 g, and at risk of ROP, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were investigated, and the incidence of ROP was determined. The associations between risk factors and the development of ROP were assessed.

Results

A total of 166 preterm babies were included (n = 119, 71.7% were males), of whom 33 (19.9%) developed ROP. Significant risk factors associated with ROP included gestational age <28 weeks (p = 0.001), vaginal delivery (p = 0.003), low birth weight (<1,000 g) (p = 0.001), associated intraventricular hemorrhage (p = 0.001), prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.017), and prolonged hospital stay (p = 0.001). A cut-off level of <850 g for newborn’s birth weight had a 71.4% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity, while a cut-off level of <28 weeks for newborn’s gestational age had a 60.9% sensitivity and 75.8% specificity.

Conclusions

Incidence of ROP is high among preterm babies. The main risk factors include gestational age and low birth weight. Therefore, revision of these risk factors is necessary to minimize costs and unduly prolonged hospital stays.