Faculty Collaboration Database

Optimal timing of retina examinations for premature infants. J Formos Med Assoc 1998 Aug;97(8):552-6

Date

09/25/1998

Pubmed ID

9747066

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031688980 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   3 Citations

Abstract

Developments in modern neonatal intensive care have resulted in increased survival of very premature infants. Along with this increase in survival, there has been a concomitant increase in the frequency of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We investigated the relationship between the severity and the time course of ROP as well as the optimal time for retinal examinations of premature infants of various birth weights and gestational ages. A total of 80 premature infants were enrolled for analysis. The mean postnatal age of infants at the time of diagnosis was 7.3 +/- 3.4 weeks for stage 1 retinopathy, 9.2 +/- 5.8 for stage 2 retinopathy, 9.5 +/- 3.8 for stage 3 retinopathy, 10.7 +/- 3.7 for threshold disease, and 11.7 +/- 3.2 for stage 4 retinopathy. The mean postconceptional age of infants at the time of diagnosis was 35 +/- 3 for stage 1 retinopathy, 36.4 +/- 3 for stage 2 retinopathy, 37.6 +/- 3.5 for stage 3 retinopathy, 38.4 +/- 3.5 for threshold disease, and 40 +/- 3.7 for stage 4 retinopathy. The age at the time of the initial detection of ROP was from the ninth to 10th week among infants weighing less than 1,000 g at birth and from the fifth to seventh week among those weighing 1,000 g or more at birth. However, the postconceptional age at the time of initial detection of ROP for the whole group was 36 weeks and was not influenced by birth weight or gestational age. Therefore, we suggest that postconceptional age, rather than postnatal age, should be used to decide the timing of retinal examinations for premature infants.

Author List

Chen HJ, Teng RJ, Tsou Yau KI, Yang CM

Author

Ru-Jeng Teng MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Male
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Survival Rate
Time Factors