[Clinical course of retinopathy of prematurity and other neonatal complications in Kobe Children's Hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To report changes in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and other neonatal complications for the last 15 years


METHODS
638 cases with a birth weight of less than 1000 g were categorized into two groups in oxygen management changes based on reduced oxygen protocol before and after change (Group A: 218 cases from 1997 to 2001, Group B: 420 cases from 2002 to 2011). Prematurity and the clinical course of ROP were reviewed. In addition, the incidence of 5 main neonatal complications before and after oxygen control criterion change was compared.


RESULTS
The differences in birth weight and gestational age among the two groups were not significant (A: 765 138 g/26.5 +/- 2.2 weeks, B: 753 +/- 158 g/26.1 +/- 2.3 weeks). The incidence of ROP and the rate of treatment for ROP in Group B were significantly less than in Group A (A: 83.0%/32.6% VS B: 54.8%/ 10.0%; p < 0.01). The rate of forming a cicatricial phase severer than grade 3 was 4.1% in Group A and 1.7% in Group B (p = 0.06). The incidence of neonatal complications before and after oxygen management change was not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
Incidence and treatment of ROP were improved after changing to the reduced oxygen protocol. There was no increase in neonatal complications after the management change.
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Children's Hospital. 1-1-1 Takakuradai, Suma-ku, Kobe 654 0081, Japan.
Tsuyoshi
T
Shimoyama
Tomoko
T
Yokoyama
Koji
K
Nomura
D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
D010100:Oxygen