title: One-year experience in the retinopathy of prematurity: frequency and risk factors, short-term results and follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As a result of the increase in premature births and the advances in neonatal intensive care, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains one of the most important causes of childhood blindness worldwide. The main factors in the development of ROP are gestational age, birth weight and oxygen therapy. ROP continues to gain importance due to the increasing survival rates of more immature babies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2007 and October 2008, 203 premature infants treated at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NNICU) were prospectively enrolled and the relationship between known risk factors and the occurance of ROP was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ROP in various stages developed in 86 cases (42.4%). Statistically significant correlations were found between the development of ROP and birth weight (P<0.0001) gestational age (P<0.0001), oxygen treatment and its duration (P<0.0001 and P=0.002), mechanical ventilation (MV) and its duration (P=0,0001 and P=0.0001), apnea (P=0.001), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (P=0.046), sepsis (P=0.0001), use of erythropoietin (EPO) (P=0.003), the number of blood transfusions and frequency (P=0.0001 and P=0.0001), surfactant application (P=0.0001), the presence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (P=0.001) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (P=0.0001). No significant correlations were found between the occurance of ROP and maternal pre-eclampsia (P=0.293), multiple pregnancy (P=0.218), or hyperbilirubinemia (P=0.494). Severity of ROP was related significantly with birth weight (P=0.0001), but no significant correlation between severity of ROP and gestational age was present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early description and reduction of the risk factors related with the occurance of ROP with the help of routine screening programs may warrant the prevention of visual loss, however early ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment are still mandatory to provide better visual rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Trabzon Medical Faculty, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sariaydin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehmet
authors.forename: Atlihan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusun
authors.forename: Calkavur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sebnem
authors.forename: Olukman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozgur
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gulten
authors.forename: Ozturk Arif
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Taylan
authors.forename: Kaya Kilic
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Fatma
authors.forename: Gokaslan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Filiz
authors.forename: Altinyaprak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derya
authors.forename: Malatyali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rana