Dopamine is an indicator but not an independent risk factor for grade 3 retinopathy of prematurity in extreme low birthweight infants
- K Allegaert1,
- V Cossey1,
- G Naulaers1,
- C Vanhole1,
- H Devlieger1,
- I Casteels2
- 1Department of Paediatrics, University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium
- Correspondence to: Karel Allegaert MD, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospitals, Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; karel.allegaertuz.kuleuven.ac.be
- Accepted 12 May 2003
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a multifactorial disease with numerous risk factors.1 Indicators besides birth weight or gestational age might be used to further discriminate the relative risk of developing ROP associated with a given gestational age or birth weight. Dopamine might be such an indicator since Mizoguchi et al reported on the association of dopamine and the risk of developing ROP in survivors (n = 41) with a birth weight below 1000 g and suggested that this association might be causal.2
To document whether dopamine is an indicator or an independent risk factor for developing ROP, a retrospective chart review in extreme low birthweight (ELBW—that is, below 1000 g) infants in a single neonatal intensive care unit during a 2 year period (2000–1) was performed. Neonatal characteristics collected were birth weight, gestational age, and Apgar score. Respiratory characteristics were either markers of …
