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Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2009;94:F193-F195 doi:10.1136/adc.2008.143552
  • Original article

Retinopathy of prematurity in small-for-gestational age infants compared with those of appropriate size for gestational age

  1. C A Dhaliwal1,
  2. B W Fleck2,
  3. E Wright3,
  4. C Graham4,
  5. N McIntosh5
  1. 1
    Centre for Reproductive Biology, Queens Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  2. 2
    The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  3. 3
    Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  4. 4
    Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  5. 5
    Department of Child Life and Health, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
  1. Dr C A Dhaliwal, Room W1.12, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Queens Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; cdhaliwa{at}staffmail.ed.ac.uk
  • Accepted 23 August 2008
  • Published Online First 11 September 2008

Abstract

Aim: To compare the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants compared with appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) infants undergoing eye screening in the Lothian region of south east Scotland 1990–2004.

Methods: All infants in Lothian born with birth weight <1500 g and/or gestational age <32 weeks underwent eye screening by two experienced paediatric ophthalmologists. The presence of any stage of ROP (1–5), severe (stage 3 or greater) ROP and treated ROP was compared between the SGA and AGA infants using χ2 or Fisher exact tests. SGA was defined as birth weight below the 10th centile for gestational age.

Results: A total of 1413 babies with birth weights <1500 g and/or gestational age <32 weeks underwent eye screening; 329 (23%) were SGA. SGA infants born at gestational ages 26–31 weeks were more likely to develop any stage of ROP (p<0.01) than their AGA peers. SGA infants were also more likely to develop severe ROP (gestational age 26–27 weeks, p<0.01; 28–29 weeks, p = 0.01; 30–31 weeks, p = 0.01).

Conclusions: SGA infants who underwent eye screening in the Lothian region of south east Scotland from 1990 to 2004 were significantly more likely to develop ROP and more severe disease than AGA infants.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

Responses to this article

  • Small for gestational age infants are at risk of developing early severe ROP.
    • Emma Heckford,
    • Anna E Curley
    Arch Dis Child - Fetal Neonatal Ed published online July 2, 2009

This Article

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  4. All versions of this article:
    1. adc.2008.143552v1
    2. 94/3/F193 most recent

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