Retinopathy of Prematurity: Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Retinopathy of Prematurity

The aim of the present study was to describe the maternal risk factors associated with retinopathy of prematurity. Books, meta-analyses, journal articles, guidelines and updated documents on maternal risk factors for the development of ROP, as well as protocols at the Latin American level, including Central America and Guatemala, were compiled and it was found that the most frequent risk factors with statistical association to ROP were biological, obstetric, pathological and psychosocial factors. Maternal age (women at very young or advanced ages) was identified as an indirect biological risk factor for ROP; smoking was identified as a psychosocial risk factor according to high evidence meta-analysis; hypertension during pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infection, iron deficiency anemia and increased white blood cell count as pathological risk factors; finally gestational age, intrauterine growth restriction, rupture of membranes, route of delivery resolution.