Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part D (2024)

The current investigation aimed to clarify the previous findings about the prevalence and incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in children delivered before 34 weeks of gestation or in those with birth weights (BW) ≤ 2000 g and gestational ages between 34 and 36 weeks. After receiving ethical clearance, 160 newborns participated in a prospective, hospital-based observational study over a four-month period. Neonates younger than 34 weeks gestational age and those with a body weight (BW) under 2000 gm and a gestational age between 34 and 36 weeks comprised the study population. Number and percentage were used to express categorical/nominal variables, which were then evaluated using the Fischer exact test or the Chi square test. The mean and standard deviation were used to represent continuous variables. All statistical analyses were conducted using appropriate statistical software, such as SPSS (Statistical Sciences Package for Social Sciences). After screening all 160 newborns that were part of the current study, 30 of them had ROP, representing an 18.8% prevalence. The majority of neonates evaluated for ROP were delivered between 33 and 34 weeks gestational age (56.9%), then between 30 and 32 weeks (28.8%); 16 (10%) neonates were born before 30 weeks, and seven (4.4%) after 34 weeks. Ten (33.3%) of the thirty neonates with ROP were born at gestational age less than 32 weeks, and twenty (66.7%) at gestational age more than 32 weeks. There is a noteworthy correlation (p=0.044) between the incidence of ROP and gestational age less than 32 weeks. Of the thirty neonates with ROP, twenty-four (80%) weighed less than 1500 g, while six (20%) weighed more than 1500 g. There was a strong correlation (p <0.001) between the prevalence of ROP and birth weights under 1500 g. The majority of newborns evaluated for ROP were born between 33 and 34 weeks gestational age (56.9%), then between 30 and 32 weeks (28.8%). A BW of less than 1500 g (p <0.001) and a gestational age of less than 32 weeks (p = 0.044) were found to be substantially linked to the development of ROP.