Strategies to Prevent Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity: A 2020 Update and Meta-analysis

Abstract

The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is showing an increasing trend in the United States. This may be because of increasing survival rates among extremely preterm infants (<25 weeks' gestation) and targeting higher oxygen saturation. Five randomized clinical trials of low versus high oxygen saturation target ranges found increased mortality in the low oxygen saturation target group and an increased incidence of ROP in the high oxygen saturation target group. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using an oxygen saturation target range of 90% to 95% in extremely low-birthweight infants. The change of practice to target this higher oxygen saturation range, from admission until discharge, may be contributing to the increasing incidence of ROP in extremely preterm infants. To decrease the incidence of ROP without increasing mortality, 2 new cohort trials suggest gradually increasing oxygen saturation targets as preterm infants mature. There is evidence that human milk, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids can help, in addition to continuous oxygen saturation monitoring, to decrease the risk of ROP. We review this literature and provide a meta-analysis to evaluate the evidence.