Poor postnatal weight gain: a risk factor for severe retinopathy of prematurity.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between rate of postnatal weight gain and severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).


METHODS
All infants (n = 111) screened for ROP at a single tertiary intensive care nursery over a 2-year period with an estimated gestational age of 30 weeks or less and follow-up to at least 42 weeks' postconception were included. The authors performed a retrospective review of records and statistical analysis of risk factors for ROP using multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
Infants with severe (stage 3 or greater) ROP gained an average 10.9 g/kg per day in the first 6 weeks of life, compared to a mean of 9.6 g/kg per day for those with mild or no ROP (P =.04). By multiple regression, which included birth weight, gestational age, and 9 other reported risk factors, there was an association between rate of postnatal weight gain and severity of ROP (P =.02). By stepwise regression, 4 variables were associated with ROP severity: estimated gestational age at birth (P =.002), rate of postnatal weight gain (P = .0002), volume of transfused erythrocytes (P =.0001), and culture-proven sepsis (P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
Poor postnatal weight gain is a risk factor for the development of severe (stage 3 or greater) ROP. Ophthalmologists should take note of those infants who gain less than 50% of their birth weight in the first 6 weeks of life.
Wallace
D K
DK
Departments of Ophthalmology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7040, USA. dkwallac@med.unc.edu
Kylstra
J A
JA
Phillips
S J
SJ
Hall
J G
JG
D018450:Disease Progression; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011379:Prognosis; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015430:Weight Gain