关键词: 早产儿视网膜病变, 神经发育, 视力, 听力

Abstract: Objective To investigate the neurodevelopmental prognosis of premature infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and to assess whether ROP is associated with neurodevelopmental delay, so as to provide evidence for early identification and intervention. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze premature infants with a gestational age of 25 - 32 weeks admitted to the Children's Hospital Affliated to Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2019 to August 31,2021. Infants with severe ROP were assigned to the ROP group, while those with similar gestational ages but without ROP served as the control group.The cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of both groups were compared at corrected full-term age, 3 months, and 6 months of corrected age. The Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA) scores at corrected full-term age, and the mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) outcomes at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of corrected age were statistically analyzed. Results At 18 and 24 months of corrected age, the MDI and PDI scores of the ROP group were lower than those of the control group (MDI: t=2.344, 2.529, P<0.05; PDI: t=2.043, 2.378, P<0.05).The incidence of visual abnormalities (primarily ametropia) was significantly higher in the ROP group compared to the control group at the same time points (χ²=9.297, P=0.002).Logistic regression analysis revealed that oxygen therapy duration was a risk factor for later psychomotor developmental delay (OR=1.031, 95%CI: 1.005 - 1.058, P=0.021). Conclusions After treatment, visual impairment in premature infants with severe ROP is primarily manifested as refractive errors.At 18 - 24 months of corrected age, their MDI and PDI scores lag behind those of age-matched premature infants without ROP. Further research is recommended to investigate whether older children with ROP experience neurodevelopmental delays compared to preterm infants with the same age.

Key words: retinopathy of prematurity, neurodevelopment, vision, hearing