A Review on the Incidence and Related Risk Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity Across Various Countries

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an ophthalmologic condition that is one of the leading causes of preventable childhood blindness. Due to the premature nature of blood vessels in preterm infants, retinal vessels are prone to damage. The incidence of ROP ranges with great variation across countries, and this study aims to identify the incidence and its related risk factors. A compilation of studies investigating the incidence of ROP was acquired through the PubMed and Google Scholar databases with a full free text in English filter set. All members of the study were involved in designating studies based on continent and arranging them into a table format. Following this, reasons for the variation in the incidence of ROP were investigated by individually assessing each study. The variation of an increased incidence of ROP seen in low-income countries (LICs) was most likely due to the availability of resources. As a preterm birth can give rise to further complications such as the development of sepsis, it is important to manage preterm birth with the utmost caution. Evidence has suggested that the two key variables in reducing the morbidity and mortality of ROP are the implementation of a screening and treatment protocol with controlled use of oxygen and the availability of resources in hospitals to adequately identify and manage ROP as early as possible. Through a comprehensive overview of the incidence of ROP, it is vital to review screening and treatment protocols in each hospital for ROP, which would aid in preventing its occurrence and initiating early treatment.

Keywords: childhood blindness; oxygen therapy; pediatrics and neonatology; prematurity; retinopathy of prematurity.