Thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusions is predictive of retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants: A retrospective study

Abstract

Background Recent studies suggest that some haematological parameters and ratios provided by blood count collected on the first day of life may be predictors for the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Aims To assess whether haematological parameters and ratios in blood count collected on the first day of life are associated with ROP. Study design: Retrospective data collection from electronic clinical files, from January 2008 to December 2022, in a level III NICU. We collected detailed clinical and demographic data on the mother, pregnancy, mode of delivery, resuscitation, in-hospital neonatal morbidity, pathological examination of the placenta, and haematological parameters and ratios provided by blood count collected on the first day of life. We compared neonates with or without ROP and performed a subgroup analysis on patients with ROP≥2. Subjects Inborn preterm infants with a gestational age of less than 30 weeks. Outcome measures Associations between haematological parameters and ratios and the development of ROP. Results We included 140 preterm infants with ophthalmic examination; 81(57.9%) developed ROP. The need for platelet transfusions (OR 5.28; 95%CI:1.31-21.21; p=0.019) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (OR 5.12; 95%CI:1.14-22.98; p=0.033) were independent risk factors for ROP. In the multivariate analysis, no associations were found between any of the haematological parameters or ratios studied and ROP. Conclusions In our study, haematological parameters and ratios on the first day of life were not associated with the development of ROP. However, thrombocytopenia that required platelet transfusions was associated with ROP development and severity.