The Impact of Hypoxemia on the Development of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Infants Less Than 29 Weeks of Gestation

Abstract

Objective: To study the impact of cumulative exposure to hypoxemia on the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants less than 29 weeks' gestation.

Study design: This is a retrospective analysis of the effect of cumulative exposure to hypoxemia during the first 10 weeks of life in preterm infants <29 weeks' gestation. Cumulative time spent at various levels of oxygen saturation was calculated by converting the daily percentage of time to minutes per day. Cumulative exposure to hypoxemia (cT_<80 or oxygen saturation <80%) was calculated weekly and compared between outcomes. The primary outcome was the development of ROP requiring treatment.

Results: Cumulative hypoxemia exposure was significantly associated with ROP requiring treatment. When adjusted for other neonatal morbidities, only gestation was consistently associated with ROP requiring treatment.

Conclusion: Cumulative exposure to hypoxemia in the first few weeks was not associated with ROP or treatment of ROP after adjustment for confounders.