Causes of retinal hemorrhage in premature infants

Every child is full of hope for the family. Often, many women will start to be cautious during pregnancy, fearing that their momentary negligence will affect the fetus in their belly. However, premature birth is also a common phenomenon in life. Often because the fetus cannot fully adapt to the external living environment, it is always prone to some symptoms. Among them, retinal hemorrhage in premature infants is the most common and is also the most worrying for parents. Let's learn about the causes of retinal hemorrhage in premature infants.

Causes of retinal hemorrhage in premature infants

The cause of the disease is still unclear, but risk factors include low birth weight, premature birth, and oxygen therapy.

1. Premature birth and low birth weight

Main reason: The retina is immature and has a gray-white dividing line that the blood vessels cannot cross, preventing the blood vessels from growing normally.

The lower the birth weight and the younger the gestational age, the higher the incidence of ROP and the more severe the condition.

2. Oxygen therapy

There are currently two theories about the cause of the disease:

(1) The longer the oxygen therapy time, the higher the inhaled oxygen concentration, the higher the arterial oxygen partial pressure, the higher the incidence of ROP, and the more serious the condition. The incidence of ROP is higher in patients using CPAP or mechanical ventilation than in those using oxygen via a hood. Patients generally have a history of excessive oxygen inhalation in an incubator after birth.

(2) Rapid cessation of oxygen administration after high concentration causes relative tissue hypoxia, which promotes ROP, regardless of the short oxygen uptake time. Fluctuations in arterial oxygen tension play an important role in the progression of ROP.

3. Others

(1) Hypoxia, acidosis (pH <7.25), anemia, blood transfusion, hyperbilirubinemia, hypernatremia, hypoglycemia, hypothermia <35.6°C, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, sepsis, light exposure, use of xanthine drugs, etc. caused by various factors.

(2) β-blockers: They enter the fetus through the placenta, increase choroidal vascular tension, and promote the development of ROP.

(3) Arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2): Too low PaCO2 can cause retinal vasoconstriction, leading to retinal ischemia and ultimately ROP.

(4) Maternal anemia and multiple fetuses, etc.

(5) Race: White people have a higher incidence rate and more severe disease.

The above is an introduction to the causes of retinal hemorrhage in premature infants. When such problems occur, parents must not be too anxious and must follow the doctor's advice for treatment in time. In addition, women must pay special attention during pregnancy to avoid premature birth. First of all, they must pay attention to nutritional balance in their diet, avoid strenuous exercise, maintain a happy mood, and do regular prenatal examinations.