Duration of anaemia during the first week of life is an independent risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity |
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| Authors: | Pia Lundgren Sam E Athikarisamy Sanjay Patole Geoffrey C Lam Lois E Smith Karen Simmer |
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| Institution: | 1. Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia;2. Department of Neonatology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA, Australia;3. Department of Neonatology, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, Perth, WA, Australia;4. Department of Ophthalmology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA, Australia;5. Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia;6. Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Aim This study evaluated the correlation between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), anaemia and blood transfusions in extremely preterm infants. Methods We included 227 infants born below 28 weeks of gestation at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Australia, from 2014–2016. Birth characteristics and risk factors for ROP were retrieved, and anaemia and severe anaemia were defined as a haemoglobins of <110 g/L and <80 g/L, respectively. Logistic regression was used for the analysis. Results Retinopathy of prematurity treatment was needed in 11% of cases and the mean number of blood transfusions (p < 0.01), and mean number of weeks of anaemia (p < 0.001) and of severe anaemia (p < 0.05), had positive associations with ROP cases warranting treatment. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the best‐fit model of risk factors included anaemic days during first week of life, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.46% and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.16–1.83 (p < 0.05), sepsis during the first 4 weeks of life (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.10–9.00, p < 0.05) and days of ventilation (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06, p < 0.05). Conclusion The duration of anaemia during the first week of life was an independent risk factor for ROP warranting treatment and preventing early anaemia may decrease this risk. |
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| Keywords: | Anaemia Blood transfusions Erythropoietin Preterm infants Retinopathy of prematurity |
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