title: Incidence of ROP in two consecutive Swedish population based studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively analyse the present incidence of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) in a well defined geographical area in Sweden, and to compare it with that from a decade earlier in exactly the same area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants born between 1 August 1998 and 31 July 2000 with a birth weight of 1500 g or less were studied. They were screened for ROP from 5 weeks of postnatal age until the retina was entirely vascularised. The incidence of ROP, with its various stages, was compared with that of a previous (1988-90) population based study in the same geographical area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of ROP in the present study was 36.4% (mild (18.2%) and severe ROP (18.2%)), which was similar to that of the previous study. Gestational age at birth remained the most important risk factor for ROP. We found a change in the distribution of ROP. The probability of ROP, particularly severe ROP, was highest in the most immature infants while it was lower in the least immature ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of ROP remained the same in two consecutive population based studies. The more "mature" infants developed ROP, particularly severe ROP, less often, while the most immature infants had ROP more often, particularly severe ROP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carle-Petrelius
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cernerud
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ots
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmström
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology