Red reflex examination in neonates: evaluation of 3 years of screening.

PURPOSE: Red reflex is a test that can detect potentially life-threatening ocular abnormalities. In 2012, a red reflex screening campaign was started in Umbria, central Italy. In this study, we report the results of the first 3 years (2012-2014) of screening. METHODS: Red reflex screening was carried out in the 11 regional birth centres. On the first level, the test was performed on all newborns within the third day of life. A pathologic test was an indication for referral to the nearest Ophthalmology Hospital Department (II level). Patients were referred to the Perugia University Ophthalmology Hospital Department if an ulterior evaluation or if treatment was necessary (III level). RESULTS: Between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014, 22,884 children were born in Umbria and of these, 22,272 (97.3%) were tested with the red reflex. Four hundred and sixty-one (4.83%) neonates resulted having a positive or equivocal test and were sent to II level. Three of these cases (0.01%) were affected by an important eye disease, in particular two patients (0.009%) presented congenital cataract and one patient (0.005%) presented retinoblastoma. CONCLUSION: Our results are consistent with the previous findings, although reports on red reflex screening are sporadic in the literature. Despite the high number of false positives, the red reflex test has proven to be a useful, easy to perform and low cost test for the early detection of congenital low vision diseases, and our data confirm that it must become part of normal neonatal assessments.

Validation of the postnatal growth and retinopathy of prematurity screening criteria: A retrospective Italian analysis.

PURPOSE: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the leading cause of childhood blindness. The aim of our study is to validate the new screening criteria elaborated by the Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity (G-ROP) study group in a monocentric cohort of Italian preterm infants. METHODS: We retrospectively applied the G-ROP screening criteria to a cohort of preterm infants born between May 2015 and July 2020 with known birth weight, gestational age, serial weight measurement, and known ROP outcome. Primary outcomes were sensitivity and specificity of ROP detection, especially of treatment requiring ROP. Secondary outcomes were reduction of ophthalmologic examinations and of infants requiring screening. RESULTS: We retrospectively evaluated 595 children and 475 were included in our study. Of them, 119 developed any type ROP, 39 developed type 1 ROP, and 28 underwent treatment. G-ROP criteria predicted 39 of 39 cases of type 1 ROP (100% sensitivity and specificity). Sensitivity and specificity for detection of treated ROP were 100%. Considering any type ROP detection, sensitivity was 87.4% and specificity was 100%. Our analysis showed that screening could be avoided in 50% of patients, resulting in a 29% reduction of the number of examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Our study validates the new G-ROP screening protocol in a monocentric cohort of premature infants. We demonstrate that all Type 1 ROP and requiring treatment ROP could be found even with a reduction of eye examinations.

Incidencia de la retinopatía de la prematuridad en el bajo peso / Incidence of the retinopathy of prematurity in the low birthweight

OBJETIVO: Conocer el comportamiento de la retinopatía en los nacidos de menos de 1750 gramos o menos de 35 semanas en la provincia La Habana. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo longitudinal de todos los niños bajo peso nacidos en la provincia La Habana desde enero de 2004 a diciembre de 2008, se obtuvieron un total de 1847 niños bajo peso. El protocolo de investigación lo integraron los menores de 1750 gramos de peso al nacer o con edad gestacional inferior a 35 semanas, a quienes se les valoraron algunos factores de riesgo. Se excluyeron del estudio los fallecidos en ese período. RESULTADOS: La incidencia fue de 15,3 por ciento mediante examen oftalmoscópico. Fue mayor en el grado III, en el peso comprendido de 1000-1499 gramos y edad gestacional de 28-32 semanas. En los niños investigados para ROP, el mayor porcentaje recibió oxígeno, solo dos casos no tuvieron dicho tratamiento. CONCLUSIÓN: La incidencia de retinopatía de la prematuridad, a pesar de resultar baja, generalmente ocurre de manera grave en el grado III, en el peso comprendido de 1000-1499 gramos y edad gestacional de 28-32 semanas, la oxigenoterapia es un factor de riesgo muy importante

OBJECTIVE: To find out the situation of the retinopathy in children with birthweight under 1750 grams or born with less than 35 weeks in Havana province. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study of all the low birthweight children in Havana province, who were born from January from 2004 to December of 2008, was made. A total number of 1847 low weighted children was obtained. The study protocol included those children who were born weighing less than 1750 grams or whose gestational age was lower than 35 weeks; their risk factors were taken into consideration. The deceased children in this period were excluded. RESULTS: The incidence was 15.3 percent based on the ophthalmologic exam. It was higher in the grade III, in the 1000-1499 gram range of weight and in the age 28-32 wk gestational age. In the studied children, the highest percentage had received oxygen therapy except for two cases. CONCLUSION: Despite the low incidence of retinopathy of prematurity, this disorder is severe in grade III, in the 1000-1499 gram weight and the 28-32 week gestational age; the oxygen therapy is a very important risk factor