AIM: To analyze the clinical characteristics of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)in preterm infants with very low birth weight.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of 3 121 premature infants who were admitted to the ophthalmic clinic and neonatal department of our hospital from December 2009 to June 2018 and underwent fundus examination. There were 1 862 males and 1 259 females. Among them, there were 400 premature infants with very low birth mass whose body mass was less than 1 500g. 191 males and 209 females. To compare the detection rate of ROP, gestational age, gender ratio, diagnosis time of ROP, severity of ROP and prevalence of other eye diseases, among different birth quality groups in preterm infants with extremely low birth mass.

RESULTS: In this study, 3 121 premature infants were screened, and the ROP detection rate was 8.2%(255/3 121). There were 400 premature infants with very low birth mass with a body mass less than 1 500g, ROP detection rate was 23.8%(95/400), stage 1-2 lesions that do not require treatment were 93.7%(89/95), pre-threshold and threshold lesions were 3.2%(3/95), stage 4-5 lesions were 3.2%(3/95). ROP detection rates of birth weight(g)<1 000, 1 000-1 499, ≥1 500, were: 25.0%, 23.7%, 5.9%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in gestational age, ROP diagnostic time, between different birth weight groups(P<0.001). There were significant differences in the severity of ROP among the groups with birth weight <1 000g, 1 000-1 499g and ≥ 1 500g. But, there was no significant difference in the severity of ROP between the group with birth weight 1 000-1 499g and the group with birth weight ≥1 500g(P>0.05). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of other eye diseases in different birth weight groups(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: The lower of birth weight, with the higher of incidence of ROP. The severity of ROP in preterm infants with birth weight <1 000g was significantly higher than that of preterm infants with birth weight≥1 000g. Ophthalmology should combine obstetrics and neonatology to reduce the incidence of very low birth weight premature infants, and improve the compliance of screening and follow-up of retinopathy of very low birth weight premature infants, which is an important way to reduce the blindness caused by ROP.