Evaluation of the Criteria and Modalities of Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity in Two French Tertiary NICU : is a Simplification Possible ?

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in children worldwide. Despite a stable incidence over the last decades, improvements in neonatal care and survival of extremely premature lead to an increased screening and follow up of ROP. Retinal examination is painful and can result in clinical deterioration, it also generates significant health care costs. In this way, several studies suggest the need to optimize screening without ignoring severe ROP requiring treatment. Recently, SCREENROP in Canada and SWEDROP studies in Sweden contributed to a modification of the national screening guidelines with a reducing upper limit at 30 weeks of gestational age (GA) and a postponing of the first examination. Because of the population studied, those recommendations cannot be applicable in other countries.

Recommendations in France are to screen infants < 31 GA or 1250 g, first examination should be performed at PMA 31 in infants < 27 GA and at 4 weeks postnatal age (PNA) in infants born at 27 GA or more. Our main hypothesis is that a reduction of the screening criteria by decreasing the upper limit of the threshold at 30 GA and/or postponing the first examination is acceptable in a population of premature newborns from two French tertiary NICU. This simplification of the screening modalities could reduced the number of fundus examinations performed, while limiting risks for the patient as well as costs. This study could be a pilot study for a national multicenter trial, with the objective of revising national screening guidelines.