What is ROP?

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a condition that occurs in infants less than 3 pounds and born under 31 weeks. What happens with ROP is that abnormal blood vessels grow in the eye, these vessels are very fragile and break causing bleeding and scaring. The bleeding causes the retina to become displaced and detach, causing blindness. It is believed that rapidly fluctuating oxygen levels cause ROP. Currently the NICU that I am in is participating in a double blind study to see if a certain eye drop is helpful in preventing ROP.


Reference:
Merenstein, G.B., Gardner, S.L. (2006). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.