Understanding retinopathy of prematurity | LATCH

Source: Unless otherwise noted, all information is drawn from: Retinopathy of Prematurity. KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/rop.html. Accessed June 22, 2018.

What is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)?

ROP is an eye disease that primarily affects premature babies who are born weighing less than 1250 grams or who are born before 31 weeks gestation. ROP causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in the retina, which can lead to vision problems or blindness.  

What causes ROP?

The blood vessels of the retina begin to develop at 16 weeks of pregnancy. However, if a baby is born very early, the blood vessels are not fully developed or are extremely fragile, which can cause them to leak and bleed into the eye. If the leaking persists, scar tissue can develop, and as the scar tissue shrinks, it can start to pull the retina loose from the inner surface of the eye. This is known as retinal detachment. There are many factors that contribute to the development of ROP, including how premature the baby is, but the amount and duration of excessive oxygen exposure after birth is one of the most important.1 Your care team will do everything possible to minimize your baby's exposure to oxygen to keep your baby's eyes healthy.

How is ROP treated?

Much of the time, ROP is mild and will correct itself. However, in some cases ROP may progress to scarring and require surgery. ROP surgery involves scarring the edge of the retina to preserve the central retina and stop the growth of abnormal blood vessels. Doing this prevents shrinking scar tissue from pulling on the retina. Laser surgery is the most common method used to treat mild ROP and has nearly replaced cryotherapy, a method in which freezing temperatures are used to scar the edge of the retina. For more advanced stages of ROP in which the retina has detached, a scleral (a buckle) is placed around the retina to prevent the retina from pulling away from the inside wall of the eye. As the eye grows, the buckle is removed.1  Vitrectomy is another method used to treat advanced ROP. It involves removing the vitreous (the clear gel in the center of the eye) to gain access to the retina. The scar tissue is then removed, and the vitreous is replaced with saline solution.

1. Facts about Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). National Eye Institute.

https://nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop. Accessed on February 1, 2018.