What is Retinopathy of
Prematurity? Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)
is an eye disease which results from abnormal development of the
retina (the light sensitive lining of the eye) in premature
babies. Not all premature infants develop
retinopathy of prematurity. And for many, it resolves
without treatment in early stages. But for those babies in
whom ROP progresses, treatment is necessary. It generally
occurs in both eyes, but may be worse in one eye compared to the
other. t s very rare that t occurs n one eye only. The
two critical factors for predicting which children are most likely
to develop ROP are:
- Birth weight of less than 1,500 grams (3 lbs
5 oz).
- Gestational age at birth (i.e. length of
pregnancy) of less than 32 weeks.
Although much has been written about the
association of the high oxygen requirements of these children and
the development of retinopathy of prematurity, oxygen is not the
cause of retinopathy of prematurity - prematurity is. Even
so, oxygen levels are still carefully monitored to ensure that
these infants are given only the amount of oxygen absolutely
necessary.
Infants weighing less than 1,000 grams (2 lbs 3
oz) at birth and who are born at 23 to 28 weeks gestational age
have a particularly high chance of developing retinopathy of
prematurity.
Infants are not born with retinopathy of
prematurity. They are born with immaturity of the retina
(i.e. incomplete development of the retinal blood supply).
The information 'contained in this article' is
intended to help you understand the eye, the disease, and the
treatment of ROP.
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