Risk Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity Associated with Delayed Retinal Vascular Development

To assess risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity leading to delayed retinal vascularization in the first stage of ROP.
A retrospective study (2000 - 2016) was performed in 275 infants who were born at a gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks. Delayed vascular development was calculated as the difference in avascular area measured in terms of disc diameters between patients with risk factor and those with no risk factor.
Intrauterine fetal demise of one twin, apnea, exchange tranfusion and intubation days (≥ 10 days) lead to delayed retinal vascularization of 1.74, 1.58, 1.17, and 1.11 disc diameters and of 3.35, 3.04, 2.25 and 2.13 weeks respectively. Delayed retinal vascular development was less than 1 disc diameter in other factors such as HS-PDA, sepsis, degree of hyaline membrane ≥ III, cerebral hemorrhage, birth weight (every 100 g less), gestational age (every week less), postnatal weight gain (every 1 g less/day) and cerebral hemorrhage. However, since these factors are quantitative (birth weight, gestational age and postnatal weight gain), the greater the adverse effect, the greater the delay will be.
Intrauterine fetal demise of one twin, apnea, exchange tranfusion and intubation days (≥ 10 days) lead to delayed retinal vascular development more than 1 disc diameter at 4 - 6 weeks of postnatal life.