Risk factors in retinopathy of prematurity - A multivariate statistical analysis

Objective: To analyze risk factors in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), Patients and Methods: Four hundred forty-seven surviving very-low-birth-weight infants (birth weight less than or equal to 1,500 g) were enrolled in a retrospective study. Clinical data underwent multivariate analysis using stepwise logistic forward regression. Results: For 402 of the babies a complete dataset of 38 possible risk facto rs was available. Multivariate analysis showed 10 factors to be independently significant variables. Low birth weight, low gestational age, artificial ventilation for more than 7 days, high volume of blood transfusion and surfactant therapy were risk factors associated with higher rates of ROP. Necrotizing enterocolitis, maternal pre-eclampsia, lung maturation by antepartum betamethasone application, vitamin E and phototherapy were accompanied by a lower incidence of ROP. Conclusions: This study confirms several risk factors recognized by previous statistical analysis. In addition, this study reveals maternal preeclampsia, which is associated with chronic intrauterine stress, as a statistically independent factor and as having an influence on the incidence of ROP. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.