Association of Head Circumference, Gestational Age and Birth Weight with Severity of Retinopathy of Prematurity

Purpose:  To determine relationship between head circumference, gestational age and birth weight with stage of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Study Design:  Descriptive observational. Place and Duration of Study:  Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi from January 2022 to June 2022. Methods:  Infants born at or before 32 weeks of gestation, birth weight of less than or equal to 1500 grams at birth were enrolled. Their head circumference, gestational age and birth weight was measured and Fundoscopy was done to find out ROP. Staging of ROP was recorded four weeks after birth. The severity of ROP was correlated with head circumference, gestational age and birth weight. Results:  Of the 82 infants with ROP, 44 (54%) were male and 38 (46%) were female. Mean gestational age was 30 ± 1.4 weeks (range 27-32 weeks),mean birth weight was 1275 ± 155 gram (range 800-1500), and mean  Fronto Occipital Circumference (FOC) was 29 ± 1.6 cm (range 25-32 cm). Degree (stage) of ROP was as follows; 14 (17.1%) infants had stage 1 disease, 24 (29.3%) had stage 2 disease, 28 (34.1%) had stage 3 disease, 13 (15.9%) had stage 4 disease and 3 (3.7%) had stage 5 disease. There was statistically significant association of gestational age, birth weight and head circumference (FOC) with the degree of ROP (P<0.001) Conclusion:  Head circumference, gestational age and birth weight had a significant association with degree of ROP (P<0.001).