Posters

Association of post-natal dexamethasone use in the development of retinopathy of prematurity in low birth weight infants

Poster Details

First Author: A.Alishiri IRAN

Co Author(s):    S. Mosavi              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Association of Postnatal Dexamethasone use in the Development of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Low Birth Weight Infants

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran

Methods:

A total of 115 neonates with birth weight less than 1500 gr and gestational age less than 29 weeks were selected from Children Hospital between April 2012 and june 2013 who met the criteria for entering this double blind control study. Patients were divided randomly into case and control groups and intravenous Dexamethasone 0.25mg/kg/12h was administered from day 8 to day 14 of age for case group .

Results:

Of the neonates with ≤1500 g birth weight admitted to neonatal intensive care unit, 69% (80/115) survived. Neonates of lower gestational age(≤25 weeks and 26-28 weeks) had an increased incidence of ROP.The incidence of ROP (stage 2 or higher) was 8.6% among all 58 infants enrolling this study. Severe retinopathy of prematurity was detected in 2(7.4%) of 28 neonates received PNS and 3(9.7%) of 30 neonates who did not received PNS. No significant difference was observed for ROP incidence between postnasal dexamethasone receiving versus control group infants (p=0.35).Beyond that the incidence of severe ROP (stage >2) did not have significant difference between cases(7.4%) and control(9.7%) group too (p=0.36)

Conclusions:

our study demonstrated that there is no marked difference between neonates received post natal dexamethasone and no receiving neonates on incidence and severity of retinopathy of prematurity.Therefore, dexamethasone which is useful in treatment of chronic lung disease in preterm infants can be safely administered without concern about increase risk of ROP. FINANCIAL INTEREST: NONE