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Gestation is the most important risk factor for ROP

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SAN DIEGO — After looking at many possible risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity, one study found that the single most important risk factor was gestation period.

"Gestation was the single most important factor in the development of ROP," Sunil K. Narang, MS, said. "ROP is a significant problem in very low-birth-weight babies."

The study, conducted at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit in India, looked at ROP cases from 1998 to 2005. About 1,000 cases of ROP occurred over this time period, Dr. Narang said, for a rate of 19.4%.

The researchers studied antenatal, perinatal and postnatal factors and although they found some significant risk factors, once those were adjusted for lower gestation, only hospital nursery stay had any significance.

"Three out of 18 neonates with gestation more than 34 weeks developed ROP," Dr. Narang said. "Screening is important for all babies less than 37 weeks, not less than 34 weeks as is traditional."