Observational studyEye (London, England)2026
Variations in prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and completeness of screening in five units within a South African region: a register-based study.
Observational study in Eye (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an avoidable cause of childhood blindness. Effective ROP screening enables the detection of cases requiring treatment, but the frequency of ROP varies in units across South Africa (SA). Recent evidence suggests that a high proportion of infants in SA do not complete screening. A comparison of ROP prevalence and completeness of screening in units within the same region has yet to be described.
methodsA prospective study of infants screened for ROP at five units was conducted between 1 February 2023 and 30 April 2024 in Cape Town, SA. Data were extracted for infants with birth weight <1250 grams or gestational age <32 weeks from the Retinopathy of Prematurity South African (ROPSA) register.
resultsScreening was initiated in 933 infants and completed in 468 (50.2%). Completeness of screening varied in the units from 36.8% to 74.6%. The prevalence of ROP among infants who started screening (16.1%-71.2%), completed screening (13.1%-64.3%), and those incompletely screened (25.0%-79.2%) also varied in the units. Among those diagnosed with ROP (n = 315), 179 (56.8%) had incomplete screening, including 30 (n = 51, 58.8%) infants with stage 3 ROP.
conclusionCompleteness of screening and ROP prevalence varied widely in the units. Of concern is the high proportion of infants with ROP, including stage 3 ROP, who do not complete screening. Measures to increase completeness of screening are needed to improve the detection of cases requiring treatment. The ROPSA register will allow these improvements to be monitored over time.
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