Preeclampsia and Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Preeclampsia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are associated with impaired angiogenesis. Previous studies on the relationship between preeclampsia and ROP have produced conflicting results. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal preeclampsia and ROP using a large population-based cohort of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from 21 neonatal departments registered in the database of the Premature Baby Foundation of Taiwan. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for preeclampsia with reference to ROP and severe ROP. A total of 5,718 VLBW infants (844 cases with maternal preeclampsia) were included for analysis. The overall incidences of mild and severe ROP were 36.0% and 12.2%, respectively. Univariable analysis showed lower GA and lower birth weight, vaginal delivery, non-SGA, RDS, PDA, sepsis, transfusion, and absence of maternal preeclampsia to be associated with mild and severe ROP development. However, OR (95% CI) adjusted for the variables that were significant according to univariable analysis showed the risks of developing any-stage ROP and severe ROP for maternal preeclampsia to be 1.00 (0.84–1.20) and 0.89 (0.63–1.25), respectively. The results remained unchanged in stratified analyses according to SGA status. Our data showed that maternal preeclampsia was not associated with the subsequent development of any stage or severe ROP in VLBW infants.

Extreme prematurity, treated retinopathy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and cerebral palsy are significant risk factors for ophthalmological abnormalities at 6.5 years of age

“…Preeclampsia was associated with reduced risk of long-term ophthalmological dysfunction, when the model was adjusted for known risk factors at one week after birth. However previous meta-analyses and other studies have reported inconsistent results with regard to preeclampsia on its own and ROP (15,16). Thus, the mechanism underlying the protective effect suggested by the results of this study remains unknown.…”

Retinopathy of Prematurity Trends in Taiwan: A 10-Year Nationwide Population Study

“…11 The most commonly reported risk factors were BW and GA. 7,[12][13][14] Although some articles using national datasets have been reported, few studies have been conducted in Asian populations. [15][16][17] Previous ROP studies in Asian populations were also limited by small sample sizes or constrained by specific ranges of BW. [15][16][17] The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan contains extracted claims data from all ambulatory and in-hospital patients.…”

“…[15][16][17] Previous ROP studies in Asian populations were also limited by small sample sizes or constrained by specific ranges of BW. [15][16][17] The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan contains extracted claims data from all ambulatory and in-hospital patients. The incidence of ROP and its risk factors has not been explored systematically at the national level in Taiwan.…”

Retinopathy of Prematurity Among Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants in China: Incidence and Perinatal Risk Factors

“…Previous studies on the relationship between PE and ROP have produced conflicting results. [22][23][24][25][26] Gebes çe et al 22 reported that maternal PE was an important risk factor for ROP (OR ¼ 3.200; 95% CI 1.002-11.535). Zayed et al 23 also found that PE was associated with larger avascular areas or higher severity scores in the retina, but the mechanism was unclear.…”