Variations in prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and completeness of screening in five units within a South African region: a register-based study

Eye 2026 Open access

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Authors: Tshilidzi van der Lecq, Gerd Holmström, E Jordaan Jordaan, Phumza Nongena, Natasha Rhoda, Rudzani Muloiwa, on behalf of the ROPSA Collaborative Group, Tshilidzi van der Lecq, Gerd Holmström, Natasha Rhoda, Rudzani Muloiwa, E Jordaan Jordaan
+16 more Linda Visser, Nicola Freeman, Teboho Seobi, Lloyd Tooke, Shakti Pillay, Michael Harrison, Nicole Meiring, Phumza Nongena, Jaco Murray, Adriaan Daniels, Helga Inez Abrahamse-Pillay, G Káli, Adrie Bekker, M. du Preez, Alexander Geragotellis, Neeran Reddy
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-026-04257-y
Cited by: 1
References: 30

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an avoidable cause of childhood blindness. Effective ROP screening enables the detection of cases requiring treatment, but the frequency of ROP varies in units across South Africa (SA). Recent evidence suggests that a high proportion of infants in SA do not complete screening. A comparison of ROP prevalence and completeness of screening in units within the same region has yet to be described. METHODS: A prospective study of infants screened for ROP at five units was conducted between 1 February 2023 and 30 April 2024 in Cape Town, SA. Data were extracted for infants with birth weight

Fields of Study & Subjects

Retinopathy of Prematurity Studies Child Abuse and Related Trauma Neonatal Respiratory Health Research

Publication details

Journal / source
Eye
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
40
Issue
6
Pages
901–906
Publication date
17 February 2026
Language
EN