Epidemiological and Clinical Features of the Preterms Followed-Up at Our Clinic in Turkey: A Study about 458 Infants

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate 458 infants, who were followed up due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), demographically and epidemiologically. Methods: 458 infants with ROP, who were referred from our hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and from other health centers to our clinic for the staging and treatment between February 2016 and December 2017, were studied retrospectively. Design: Retrospective-observational study. Results: Of the 458 infants, 243 infants (53.06%) did not have ROP and they were at a mean of 32nd (26 - 35) gestational week, weighing a mean of 1700 (820 - 2830) gr. The remaining 215 (46.94%) infants were diagnosed with ROP at various stages and they were at a mean of 29th (23 - 35) gestational week, weighing a mean of 1180 (490 - 2850) gr. Of the infants without ROP, 116 (47.7%) were females and 127 (52.3%) were males. The mean duration of stay at the incubator was a mean of 16.5 (0 - 120) days and the mean duration of follow-up was a mean of 43 (40 - 56) weeks. 103 (40.2%) of them were breastfed only. Of the infants with ROP at various stages, 95 (44.2%) were females, and 120 (55.8%) were males. The mean duration of stay at the incubator was 42 (6 - 195) days, and the mean duration of follow-up was 48 (40 - 73) weeks. 43 (20.0%) of them were breastfed only. 32 (13.2%) infants without ROP were born of multi-fetal pregnancies. Only 1 of them was born as one of the triplets. Of the babies with ROP; 56 (26.04%) were born of multi-fetal pregnancies, 5 of them being triplets. The numerical values of the gestational week at birth and the birth weight, and the rates of breastfeeding were lower in infants with ROP compared to the ones without it (p < 0.001). However, their follow-up durations were longer (p < 0.001). There was observed a male predominance and multi-fetal pregnancies in the infants with ROP (respectively, p > 0.05, <0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that the gestational age, birth weight, breastfeeding rates, birth history and follow-up periods of multiple fetal pregnancies were different in ROP infants compared to non-ROP infants.