Quality Reports - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the Fox Valley

Severe retinopathy of prematurity

Why we measure it - Retinopathy of prematurity is common in very premature babies and those with more severe underlying medical complications. It primarily affects premature infants weighing less than 2.75 pounds (1250 grams) or those who are born before 31 weeks' gestation. It may result in the need for corrective lenses and in rare situations with extremely premature infants, it may result in blindness. Development of retinopathy of prematurity can be an important indicator of their long-term outcomes.

	Children's Hospital	Vermont Oxford
2008	19.00 percent	Not available
2007	13.80 percent	7.20 percent
2006	7.0 percent	7.60 percent
2005	5.30 percent	8.60 percent

What this means - In the past two years, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's Fox Valley hospital has admitted more babies born at less than 25 weeks' gestation. The rise in ROP incidence is directly related to severity of prematurity. Nevertheless, the rise in ROP is under investigation. For example, medical records of patients with ROP are being reviewed to look for trends and opportunities to improve care. Oxygen saturation monitors also have been reset to sound an alarm sooner.

About the data - This graph shows the percentage of babies who suffered from retinopathy of prematurity, compared to other Vermont Oxford hospitals.

Learn about what we're doing to provide the best care.

Related dimensions of care:

Patients/families:

Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, andæprovide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.
Follow medical instructions fully and carefully.
Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child.
Attend any and all follow-up appointments.

If you have questions about this data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6726.