Evaluation of patients with retinopathy of 5 years of premature followed in the newborn intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: With the development of neonatal intensive care facilities, the number of surviving premature babies has increased. However, the incidence of premature retinopathy (PR) has increased. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the risk factors that play a role in the development of PR by evaluating our patients in general. METHODS: This study was conducted retrospectively in 276 patients between January 2015 and August 2019 in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University. RESULTS: 137 (49.6%) of the patients in the study were female and 139 (50.4%) were male. Of these 276 patients, 104 (37.7%) developed PR. In 50 (18.1%) patients who developed premature retinopathy, Stage 1, Stage 2 PR in 18 (6.5%) and Stage 3 PR in 36 (13%) were detected. In 64 (62%) of these patients, PR had spontaneous regression, 37 (36%) received anti-VEGF treatment, 2 patients underwent laser photocoagulation, and 1 patient underwent cryotherapy at the external center. . In our study, there was no significant relationship between the development of retinopathy of prematurity and multiple pregnancy, delivery type, gender, preeclampsia, necrotizing enterocolitis, intracranial hemorrhage, duration of mechanical ventilator stay, and support period of breathing using oxygen mixer, birth weight, maternal chorioamnionitis history, respiratory distress syndrome, total respiratory support time, noninvasive respiratory support (nasal CPAP) duration, surfactant administration, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, patent ductus arteriosus and blood transfusion number were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In our study, many risk factors associated with PR were evaluated. Our study showed that care in oxygen management, such as non-invasive respiratory support, in the development of ROP in premature patients may spontaneously regress, or prevent undesirable complications with early and preventive treatments, even if PR develops. Keywords: Premature, retinopathy of prematüre, oxygen