Original Paper

Race, Candida Sepsis, and Retinopathy of Prematurity
Misrak Tadesse, Ramasubbareddy Dhanireddy, Mahdur Mittal, Rosemary D. Higgins

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Georgetown University Children's Medical Center, Washington, D.C., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Biol Neonate 2002;81:86-90 (DOI: 10.1159/000047189)

  Key Words

• Retinopathy of prematurity
• Race
• Infant
• Laser
• Sepsis
• Candida

  Abstract

The objective of this observational cohort study at Georgetown University Hospital from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 1997 was to investigate race, Candida sepsis, and duration of oxygen exposure in infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with birth weight 1,000 g. The incidence of ROP was 70.8% (114/161). The incidence of stage III or greater ROP in the Caucasian infants was significantly higher at 46.7% (14/30) than in the African-American infants at 23.8% (20/84) with p < 0.02. In addition, the incidence of threshold disease was higher in Caucasian infants 33.3% (10/30) when compared to African-American infants 9.5% (8/84) with p < 0.002. Using multiple logistic regression, African-American race was found to be an independent protective factor against developing severe ROP [adjusted odds ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval (UCI) 0.16-0.97]. Extremely-low-birth-weight African-American infants with comparable severity of illness (including birth weight, gestational age, duration of supplemental oxygen exposure, and Candida sepsis) are less likely to develop severe ROP than Caucasian infants.

Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Rosemary D. Higgins, MD
Georgetown University Children's Medical Center
3800 Reservoir Road, NW M3400
Washington, DC 20007 (USA)
Tel. +1 202 687 8569, Fax +1 202 784 4747, E-Mail higginsr1@gunet.georgetown.edu

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 13