The relationship of blood transfusions to retrolental fibroplasia.

The medical records of 53 premature infants weighing less than 1,360 g at birth were examined. The retinas of 32 infants remained normal, while mild active retrolental fibroplasia developed in 17 babies, and severe active retrolental fibroplasia developed in four babies. The birth weight, duration of exposure of supplemental oxygen, and the amount of blood they received as transfusions were recorded. There was no significant difference in these values for those babies whose retinas remained normal and for those babies in whom mild retinopathy of prematurity developed. However, the infants in whom severe retrolental fibroplasia developed were significantly smaller in weight at birth and received more supplemental oxygen and transfused blood. There was a close correlation between the amount of blood transfused and days of exposure to supplemental oxygen. In addition, the ratio of transfused blood to days of supplemental oxygen exposure was greater in those infants in whom no retrolental fibroplasia developed and least in those infants in whom severe active retrolental fibroplasia developed.