Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in the middle Black Sea region of Turkey over a 10-year period.
OBJECTIVE
To report the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in babies with a birth weight of ≤1750 g over a 10-year period in the north of Turkey.


METHODS
The medical records of 2,365 preterm babies who had been referred for ophthalmological examination were retrospectively reviewed, and children with a birth weight of ≤1750 g were included. The incidence of ROP was compared between two successive 5-year periods: 2004-2008 and 2009-2013.


RESULTS
A total of 1,565 babies were included: 624 in the first period and 941 in the second. The incidence of ROP significantly increased during the second period compared to the first (35.3% vs 48.2% [P < 0.001]). The number of patients who required treatment was 11.9% in the first period and 11.4% in the second (P = 0.768).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the incidence of ROP increased during the latter period of study (2009-2013), the numbers of treatment-requiring cases were similar in both periods.
Department of Ophthalmology, Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey. Electronic address: dr.selimdemir@yahoo.com.
Selim
S
Demir
Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Özlem Eşki
ÖE
Yücel
Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Leyla
L
Niyaz
Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Gülay
G
Karakuş
Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Nurşen
N
Arıtürk
D059038:Black Sea / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology