Cognitive survey of retinopathy in premature infants in Xiangyang area

Objective To analyze the awareness of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among medical workers in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and obstetrical department, and parents of premature infants in Xiangyang area of Hubei Province.

Methods This study used a questionnaire survey to select 115 parents of premature infants who underwent ROP screening from October 2020 to October 2022 and 85 neonatologists and obstetricians in NICU and obstetrics departments of Xiangyang Central Hospital in Hubei Province. The basic situation of premature infants was recorded, and the questionnaires were used to investigate the cognitive status of parents of premature infants, neonatologists, and obstetricians on ROP-related knowledge, and the results were recorded.

Results A total of 115 valid questionnaires were collected from parents. Fifty-four parents (46.96%) had heard of ROP, and 61 parents (53.04%) had never heard of ROP. Among all parents who had heard of ROP, 10 parents (18.52%) learned through online queries or friends, 41 parents (75.93%) learned through NCIU doctors, and 1 guardian learned through NCIU nurses, 1 through obstetricians, and 1 through obstetric nurses. There were significant differences in the ways parents heard about ROP (χ²=122.709, P < 0.001). A total of 95 valid questionnaires were collected from medical staff, and only 7 medical staff could correctly write the ROP screening criteria, all of whom were NICU doctors. The NICU doctors had a higher rate of informing parents of premature infants about ROP than NICU nurses, obstetricians, and obstetric nurses (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Parents of premature infants who undergo ROP screening in Xiangyang, Hubei Province have a serious lack of knowledge about ROP-related knowledge, and education level is an important factor influencing parents' understanding of ROP-related knowledge. Medical staff in relevant departments should also strengthen their learning of ROP-related knowledge. NICU doctors play the most important role in promoting ROP, and the publicity of ROP-related knowledge should be strengthened.