title: Demographic profile of infants with stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity in North India: implications for screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study demographic profile of infants presenting as stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at a tertiary referral center of North India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of consecutive infants with stage 5 ROP from 1999-2008. Various parameters retrieved included the inborn (born at level III nursery of our institute) /outborn (born outside study center) status, birth weight, gestational age, age at presentation, screening details,treatment details and reasons for consultation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty -six infants are included. All infants were outborn (born outside study center). Mean birth weight was 1250.23 ± 486.45 g and gestational age at birth was 28.5 ± 2.2 weeks. Ten (15.1%) infants were above 1500 g birth weight. Median age at presentation was 7 month (range, 2-84 months). Fifty-seven (86.4 %) infants were never screened for ROP and 2(3%) were lost to follow-up after single screening. Seven (10.6%) infants had screening and treatment. Forty-nine (74.2%) infants were self-referred (i.e brought by parents on their own) and 17(25.8%) were referred by ophthalmologists. Pediatricians referred none of the infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that lack of screening is responsible for stage 5 ROP in outborn infants. More needs to be done to spread awareness about the disease. Broader screening guidelines are needed to ensure screening for infants>1500 g birth weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Advanced Eye Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanghi
authors.forename: Mangat R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dogra
authors.forename: Deeksha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: Amod
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001724:Birth Weight; D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control; D003906:Developing Countries; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies