Clin Pediatr | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Ghassan SA Salama*, Najwa Sunna, Alia Mousa Khlefat and Fadi Farhan Ayyash
Department of Pediatrics/Neonatology, Prince Hashem Military Hospital, Jordan
*Correspondance to: Ghassan SA Salama
Fulltext PDFBackground: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of early aggressive introduction of intravenous fat emulsion (IVFE) on the occurrence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Patient and
Methods: A retrospective study conducted at Prince Hashem Ben Al- Hussein Military Hospital between 2016-2017. A 100 premature infants of ≤ 34 weeks gestational age (G.A) and /or of < 1500 grams, all who needed oxygen support for respiratory distress syndrome and who not received and who received either early aggressive or late non- aggressive intravenous fat emulsion and all who underwent an eye examination for retinopathy of prematurity.
Results: Of the total 100 (49 Males: 51 Females) premature infants studied 17 (17%) found to have ROP of them (7 males and 10 females) and 11 (64.7%) found to have unilateral involvement and 6 (35.3%) had bilateral involvement. Stage 3 and more found to associate with bilateral eye disease in 80% of patients. Seven percent have had stage (1), 5% stage (2), 4% stage (3), 1% stage (4) and none had stage (5). Of the 32 premature infants who received early aggressive IVFE (15 Males and 17 Females) 4 (12.5%) diagnosed to have ROP of them (2 males and 2 females), with 3 unilateral ROP and 1 with bilateral ROP. 9.4% with stage (1), 3.1% with stage (3) and none of them had stage 2,4 or 5. Of the 33 preterm infants who received late non aggressive IVFE (16 Males and 17 Females) 5 (15%) documented to have ROP, of them (2 males and 3 females). Unilateral involvement found in 4 (80%) where bilateral involvement in 1 (20%) of them. In this group 6% had stage (1), 2% stage (2), 3% stage (3) and no single preterm infant had stage 4 or 5. Of the 35 premature infants who did not receive IVFE at all (18 Males and 17 females) 8 (22.8%) developed ROP of them 3 males and 5 females. Four (50%) had unilateral ROP and 4 (50%) had bilateral diseased eyes. 5.7% developed stage (1) ROP, 8.5% stage (2), 5.7% stage (3), 2.8% stage (4) and none had stage 5. Premature infants ≤ 1200 grams or/ and ≤ 32 weeks of gestation at birth have had the highest incidence (35.9 % and 25.5% respectively) and more severe form of the disease. The occurrence of retinopathy of prematurity is more common in females than males (M:F = 14.3%:19.6%) and unilateral involvement much more than bilateral involvement (64.7%:35.3%).
Conclusion: Early aggressive introduction of intravenous fat emulsion associated with better retinal development in preterm infants and thus decrease the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity.
Premature infant, Fat emulsion, Retinopathy of prematurity
Salama GSA, Sunna N, Khlefat AM, Ayyash FF. Effect of Early Aggressive Intravenous Fat Emulsion Introduction on the Incidence of Retinopathy of Prematurity. Clin Pediatri. 2018; 1: 1003.