title: Visual impairment due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in New Zealand: a 22-year review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)-related visual impairment in New Zealand children.
  
  
  METHODS
  22-year retrospective review of medical records of children with moderate to severe visual impairment registered with the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand. The cohort was divided into two periods (1991-2004; 2005-2012) for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  232 children with ROP were treated in the study period (109 in period 1, 123 in period 2). 36 children, 63.9% of whom were of male sex, were identified with subsequent significant visual impairment (27 in period 1, 9 in period 2). The incidence of new cases of visual impairment from ROP declined from 271.6 infants/100 000 live very preterm births per annum (period 1) to 146.1 per annum (period 2). Mean gestational age and mean birth weight were comparable between the two study periods. 75% of children with visual impairment from ROP received treatment for their condition (period 1, 74.1%; period 2, 77.8%) and modalities used changed significantly over time. The modal visual outcome overall was Snellen visual acuity <6/18-6/60 (55.6%) (period 1, 51.9%; period 2, 66.7%). The proportion of children with no light perception bilaterally decreased over time (period 1, 3.7%; period 2, 0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a reduction in the incidence of infants with significant visual impairment from ROP over time in New Zealand, likely due to progress in clinical management of ROP. Our study suggests the current ROP screening criteria of <31 weeks' gestation or <1250 g are of sufficient breadth.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0213-9287
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: CheeFoong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Darlow
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Shuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001724:Birth Weight; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult