title: Do postnatal glucocorticoids and retinopathy of prematurity relate?
abstract: To study a possible relation between the use of postnatal glucocorticoids and the incidence and severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), we conducted a retrospective study over a 4-year period that compared data of 161 preterm infants treated with hydrocortisone for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) with the data of 253 controls. The incidence of overall ROP was 62.7% in the hydrocortisone group and 21.3% in the control group. The incidence of severe ROP (stages 3-5) was 5% in the treatment group and 0.4% in the control group. Using logistic regression, postnatal hydrocortisone therapy was not associated with an increased risk for ROP or severe ROP (OR 1.387, 95% confidence interval 0.773-2.489, p = 0.272 and OR 4.112, 95% C.I. 0.44-38.37, p = 0.16, respectively). Also, in a subgroup of extremely low-birth-weight infants (<1000 g), postnatal hydrocortisone had no influence on the incidence of (severe) ROP. In the infants with ROP (n = 155), only prolonged use of postnatal hydrocortisone was associated with an increased risk for severe ROP (OR 1.02, 95% C.I. 1.00-1.03, p = 0.03). In this study postnatal use of hydrocortisone was not associated with an increased risk for (severe) ROP. However, in infants already suffering from ROP, prolonged treatment with hydrocortisone concurred with an increased risk for severe ROP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University of Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Termote
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Schalij-Delfos
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Donders
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cats
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006854:Hydrocortisone