Haemoglobin Levels in Early Life among Infants with and without Retinopathy of Prematurity

Edwin Pheng, Zi Di Lim, Evelyn Tai Li Min, Hans Van Rostenberghe and Ismail Shatriah
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Edwin Pheng: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Zi Di Lim: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Evelyn Tai Li Min: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Hans Van Rostenberghe: Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab 2, Kota Bharu 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Ismail Shatriah: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-9

Abstract: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative retinal vascular disorder attributed to an ischaemic stimulus in preterm infants. Haemoglobin, the main component for oxygen transportation, may be implicated in ROP development. This retrospective study compared the mean weekly haemoglobin levels between infants with and without ROP over the first six weeks of life. Premature infants of less than 32 weeks gestational age and less than 1.5 kg birth weight were grouped into age and birth weight-matched ROP cases and controls. Weekly mean haemoglobin levels were documented. An independent t-test was used to analyze the difference in mean haemoglobin levels between infants with ROP and infants without ROP. Adjustment for confounders was performed using one-way analysis of covariance. There was a statistically significant difference in adjusted mean haemoglobin levels between the ROP and non-ROP group during the first week of life ( p = 0.038). No significant intergroup differences were observed at the other weeks. Haemoglobin monitoring during the first week of postnatal life may be useful to guide ROP screening in premature infants.

Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity; haemoglobin; infant; premature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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