title: Association of the red reflex in newborns with neonatal variables.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the results of the red reflex test and to associate these results with neonatal variables. This descriptive study was conducted with 190 newborns in a public maternity hospital. A total of 187 infants presented no alteration and three presented suspect results. Different shades of reflex color were observed: 50 (26.3%) presented red; 34 (17.9%) orange-red, 92 (48.4%) orange, 11 (5.8%) light yellow and three (1.6%) milky white spots. Statistically significant associations between the color gradient instrument and neonatal variables were found: weight (p=0.03), gestational age (p=0.019) and oxygen therapy (p=0.024). Nurses trained to practice and evaluate this test may become professionals in the potential for the prevention of childhood blindness.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, CE, Brasil. adrianaufc@gmail.com
authors.forename: Adriana Sousa Carvalho
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: de Aguiar
authors.forename: Lorena Barbosa
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.forename: Ingrid Martins Leite
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lúcio
authors.forename: Lorita Marlena Freitag
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pagliuca
authors.forename: Maria Vera Lúcia Moreira Leitão
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy