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Early red cell transfusion is associated with development of severe retinopathy of prematurity

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 393–400 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the association between early (within 10 d) pRBC transfusion and the development of severe ROP.

Study design and Methods

This was a single-center retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were preterm infants born ≤32 weeks gestation or weighing ≤1500 g. Severe ROP was defined as infants requiring retinal laser ablation or bevacizumab injection. Logistic regression was used to identify the association between transfusions and severe ROP.

Results

A total of 1635 infants were included in the final analysis. The severe ROP incidence was 8% (126/1635). Ninety-one percent (115/126) of infants who developed severe ROP received a pRBC transfusion in the first 10 d. Early transfusion was associated with severe ROP; adjusted odds ratio of 3.8 (95% CI: 1.8−8.1).

Conclusion

pRBC transfusions in the first 10 days of life are associated with an almost four-fold increased risk of severe ROP, independent of gestational age at birth or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) status.

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Funding source

This work was supported by the following grants: 1. Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences KL2 Training Program (NIH/NCATS KL2 TR000450 [to ZV]). 2. The Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Funding Program (NIH/NCATS UL1 TR000448). 3. Washington University in St. Louis Center for Biomedical Informatics, Clinical Investigation Data Exploration Repository (NIH/NCATS UL1 TR000448).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Christopher Lust

  2. Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Zachary Vesoulis, Steve Liao, Rakesh Rao & Amit M. Mathur

  3. Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Ronald Jackups Jr.

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  1. Christopher Lust
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  2. Zachary Vesoulis
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Correspondence to Amit M. Mathur.

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Lust, C., Vesoulis, Z., Jackups, R. et al. Early red cell transfusion is associated with development of severe retinopathy of prematurity. J Perinatol 39, 393–400 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0274-9

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