Risks for ROP development in mid and late preterm infants
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe

The authors evaluated the incidence, risk factors and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) development in mid and late preterm infants born at 32 to <37 weeks of gestational age (GA). This was a retrospective study of 5477 infants: 54.4% male. Overall, 49.6% were mid and 50.4% late preterm infants. Examination was at a mean postmenstrual age of 36.89 ±1.18 weeks (range 33–42) in mid and 39.07 ±1.34 weeks in late preterm infants. Retinopathy of prematurity was detected in 297 (5.4%). Mean GA was 32.7 ±0.9 weeks and mean birth weight (BW) was 1833 ±443g (range 770–3190). Those with ROP were significantly younger and smaller infants. The rate of developing any stage of ROP and severe ROP was 8.29% and 0.6% respectively in mid-preterms and 2.1% and 0% respectively in late preterms. Of 297 with ROP, 238 were mid and 59 late preterm. Retinopathy of prematurity was significantly higher in mid preterms. Fifteen needed treatment and all were mid preterms. The only significant risk factor found for requiring treatment was transport from an external centre, but this was considered a biased variable. The authors acknowledge this as a retrospective study and conclude that even though ROP is most associated with younger and low BW babies, mid- and late-preterm infants may also develop ROP at least once, especially those in low-income countries.

Incidence, risk factors and development of retinopathy of prematurity in mid-preterm and late-preterm infants.
Yenice EK, Kara C, Kavert AS, Isleyen F.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY AND STRABISMUS
2024;61(5):351–7.