Abstract:Objective To analyze the incidence and influencing factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants in the Kashgar area.Methods All newborns born from January 2021 to December 2022 in local hospitals and subsequently referred to our department for ROP screening were selected as research subjects. A total of 1261 newborns were screened, among which 652 cases of ROP were identified from 838 screened infants. Based on the screening results, these newborns were divided into an ROP group (652 cases) and a non-ROP group (186 cases). Data on gender, birth weight, gestational age at birth, number of fetuses, mode of delivery, oxygen therapy, mode of oxygen administration (non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation), and the occurrence of systemic complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage, anemia, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (including asphyxia), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (including hyaline membrane disease, bronchopneumonia) were collected and recorded. Baseline and perinatal data of the two groups were compared, and factors influencing the occurrence of ROP in preterm infants in the Kashgar area were analyzed using Logistic regression.Results A comparison between the ROP group and the non-ROP group regarding gestational age at birth, birth weight, oxygen therapy, method of oxygen delivery, incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia showed statistically significant differences (P <0.05). In the ROP group, preterm infants with a gestational age of less than 30 weeks were more common than in the non-ROP group (P <0.05). Infants in the ROP group with a birth weight of 1,000 to 2,000 g were also more prevalent compared to those in the non-ROP group (P <0.05). The proportion of preterm infants receiving oxygen therapy, specifically non-invasive ventilation, as well as those suffering from ARDS and either hyaline membrane disease or bronchopneumonia, was higher in the ROP group compared to the non-ROP group (P < 0.05). Results indicated that a gestational age of less than 30 weeks [O^R = 0.427 (95% CI: 0.291, 0.629) ], a birth weight of 1,000 to 2,000 g [O^R = 0.221 (95% CI: 0.110, 0.443) ], not receiving oxygen therapy [O^R = 3.657 (95% CI: 2.439, 5.484) ], the presence of ARDS [O^R = 8.518 (95% CI: 5.378, 13.492) ], and bronchopulmonary dysplasia [O^R = 2.571 (95% CI: 1.743, 3.791) ] were all risk factors for the development of ROP in preterm infants (P <0.05).Conclusion The incidence of ROP in preterm infants in the Kashgar area is high. For high-risk preterm infants, early screening and monitoring of ROP should be strengthened, and preventive and therapeutic measures should be timely taken to reduce the occurrence and severity of ROP.