The importance of oxygen control reaffirmed: Experience of ROP reduction at a single tertiary care center

PURPOSE: To report the impact of the adoption of a low oxygen saturation policy on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) incidence at a single tertiary care center. METHODS: ROP incidence, procedures for ROP, and neonatal outcome among very low birth weight infants were compared before and after the adoption of a low saturation policy, which took place in 2004. The Mann– Whitney test was performed to look for differences. RESULTS: The incidence of severe ROP significantly decreased from 5.3% of live very low birth weight infants between 1999 and 2004 to 1% of live very low birth weight infants between 2005 and 2012 (P = .003). The use of laser therapy for severe ROP between the same periods significantly decreased from 6.4% of live very low birth weight infants between 1999 and 2004 to 0.6% of live very low birth weight infants between 2005 and 2012 (P = .002). There was also a significant reduction of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia from 33.8% between 1999 and 2004 to 24.2% between 2005 and 2012 (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Trained personnel and low and tailored oxygen saturation intervals for very low birth weight infants could play a pivotal role in reducing the incidence of severe ROP without increasing mortality.