The incidence of visually impaired children with retinopathy of prematurity and their concomitant disabilities

Behavior disorders in children with significant refractive errors

Purpose

To evaluate the frequency of behavioral disorders in children with significant refractive error and to compare the results with those of emmetropic children.

Methods

In this prospective, comparative study from January to September 2013, refractive errors of all 5–12-year-old children who referred to a general eye clinic were recorded. A validated Persian version of the Rutter A scale was filled out by the parents for the evaluation of the child's behavioral disorders. The Rutter A scale scores of children with significant refractive error were compared with those of emmetropic eyes. Student t test, Chi square test, and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis. Differences with a P value less than 0.05 were considered significant.

Results

One hundred eighty-three patients, including 101 patients with significant refractive error and 82 emmetropic subjects, were studied. Overall, 44 patients (24%) had behavioral disorders, according to the Rutter A scale scores. Thirty patients (29.7%) with significant refractive error and 14 emmetropic subjects (16.9%) had behavioral disorders (P = 0.043). The prevalence of behavioral disorders were 37.5% in hyperopia, 35.7% in hyperopia-astigmatism, 21.4% in simple astigmatism, 16.7% in myopia-astigmatism, and 14.3% in myopia. Compared with emmetropic subjects, the prevalence of behavioral disorders was statistically significantly higher only in patients with hyperopia and hyperopia-astigmatism (P = 0.019 and P = 0.040).

Conclusion

The prevalence of behavioral disorders is higher in children with hyperopia and hyperopia-astigmatism.

Threshold retinopathy at threshold of viability: the EpiBel study

AIM

To describe incidence, co-morbidity characteristics, and risk factors associated with threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in survivors with a gestational age (GA) of < or =26 weeks at birth.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of perinatal data of all inborn survivors in all perinatal centres of Belgium in the period 1999-2000 (EpiBel cohort) believed to be between 22 and 26 weeks GA at time of delivery. Data on survivors who did and survivors who did not develop threshold ROP were compared (chi(2), Mann-Whitney U) and logistic regression was performed.

RESULTS

Of 303 admitted infants 175 (58%) were discharged alive. Incidence of major retinopathy (> or =stage 3) and of threshold ROP was 25.5% and 19.8% in survivors. Associated central nervous abnormalities were documented in six (17%) and associated chronic lung disease in 19 (54%) threshold ROP infants. Threshold ROP without additional morbidity characteristics at discharge was documented in 14 (40%) infants. Besides often reported risk factors, renal insufficiency (creatinaemia>1.5 mg/dl) was a risk factor to develop threshold ROP (p<0.0015) (chi(2)). Days of respiratory support (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.002 to 1.039), number of transfusions (OR 1.118; 95% CI 1.030 to 1.214), and renal insufficiency (OR 3.31; 95% CI 1.344 to 8.196) remained independent risk factors to develop threshold ROP in this cohort in a stepwise logistic regression model (MedCalc).

CONCLUSIONS

Incidence of threshold ROP is high at the limits of viability. Renal insufficiency is a risk factor to develop threshold ROP in this cohort.