Evaluation of Hematological Parameters and Characteristics of Preterm Infants Born at 32 Weeks’ Gestation with Retinopathy of Prematurity

Background: To investigate the possible effect of hematological parameters and other risk factors on the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants born at 32 weeks’ gestational age (GA) and older. Methods: Infants having a birth weight (BW) above 1250 g and born at 32–35 weeks’ GA with any stage of ROP disease were included in the study, while infants without ROP and born at 32–35 weeks’ GA were randomly selected to form the control group (non-ROP group). Complete blood cell count (CBC) parameters obtained on the first day of preterms’ life were analysed, and delivery type, cause of preterm birth, total number of births and smoking status during pregnancy were recorded. Infant-related factors, such as the GA at birth, BW) and total time spent in NICU were also recorded, and all parameters were compared between groups. Results: In total, 50 preterm infants were included in the study, 20 in the ROP group and 30 in the control group (non-ROP). No significant differences in hematological parameters were found between groups, though red blood cell (RBC) transfusion was found to be more common in the ROP group (p: 0.03). Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences in hematological parameters measured on the infants’ first day of life following preterm birth at 32–35 weeks’ GA and a 1250 g BW. Therefore, RBC transfusion may be a risk factor for ROP development in late preterm infants.