title: Retinopathy of prematurity: an evaluation of existing screening criteria in Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if broadening the criteria for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening to include babies with gestational age ≥32 weeks and/or birth weight ≥1500 g, would have an impact on the number of babies diagnosed as having ROP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Infants with gestational age ≤35 weeks or birth weight ≤2000 g born in this hospital from May 2010 to December 2012 were screened for the presence of ROP 4-6 weeks after birth. Subsequent examinations were performed at intervals based on the findings of initial eye examinations. Infants diagnosed as having ROP were treated with argon laser therapy. Neonatal risk factors were also assessed. Cumulative incidence of ROP was calculated for babies falling within and outside current screening criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the predictors of ROP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 301 infants were screened: 27 (9%) babies developed ROP, of which 19 had stage 3 ROP or worse. None of the babies falling outside the current screening criteria developed ROP. The incidence of ROP in the infants meeting the current screening criteria was 11.5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only gestational age (adjusted relative risk 0.774, 95% CI 0.603 to 0.994) was independently associated with the development of ROP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our population ROP was not seen to occur in infants older than 32 weeks gestational age and/or weighing more than 1500 g.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Tanveer Anjum
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Farzeen Khalid
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Hashmi
authors.forename: Muhammad Sohail
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Salat
authors.forename: Qazi Assad
authors.initials: QA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahad
authors.forename: Ather M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taqui
authors.forename: Reema
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: Khabir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000592:standards*; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Child health (paediatrics)