title: Perinatal growth characteristics and associated risk of developing threshold retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document perinatal growth characteristics in infants who developed threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in an attempt to describe prenatal and postnatal growth-related risk factors for threshold ROP.
  
  
  METHODS
  To document birth weight as well as absolute and relative weight gain (g/d and g/kg/d) in the first 6 weeks of life in infants who developed threshold ROP and who were admitted to a single tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between 1996 and 2000. These data were compared (case-control approach) with infants of the same gestational age (GA) who did not developed threshold ROP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Small for gestational age (SGA; ie, weight <10th percentile for a given GA) and growth restriction (<25th percentile for a given GA) are risk factors for threshold ROP (relative risk = 3.7 and 4.5, respectively). Absolute weight gain (g/d) is also associated with an increased risk of developing threshold ROP (P<.05). In contrast, relative weight gain (g/kg/d) is not significantly different between threshold ROP infants and GA-matched controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SGA and a birth weight below the 25(th) percentile are risk factors for threshold ROP. Postnatal weight and absolute weight gain (g and g/d, respectively) in the first 6 weeks of life are statistically significant but of less clinical relevance because smaller infants at birth stay relatively smaller during the first 6 weeks of life. Even with normal (ie, same weight as control infants) postnatal relative weight gain (g/kg/d), growth retarded or restricted infants at birth still have an increased risk of developing threshold ROP.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Allegaert
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanhole
authors.forename: Ingele
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Casteels
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naulaers
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Debeer
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cossey
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Devlieger
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain