ROPARD - The Association for Retinopathy of Prematurity and Related Diseases

A PARENT'S GUIDE TO THEIR PREMATURE BABY'S EYES (Packages of 100)

Order Now

Statement of Copyright Copyright 2009© by ROPARD.org.  All rights reserved. This content is copyrighted information and may be used for personal use; users are forbidden to reproduce, republish, redistribute, or resell any materials contained herein, either machine-readable form or any other form without permission of ROPARD.org

ROPARD A PARENT'S GUIDE TO THEIR PREMATURE BABY EYES 

Overview

More than 80% of premature babies who weigh less than 1000 grams (2.2 lbs) will develop ROP. Most will resolve without treatment. Those who require treatment much receive it in a timely manner in order to obtain the best possible outcome. This may occur after discharge from the hospital. For this reason, it is critical that premature babies be examined according to the schedule that will be communicated to you at discharge. There is risk of retinal detachment from the active form of ROP until about ten weeks after the babies due date (50 weeks after conception.)

Vision is a highly complex act which requires the functioning of the visual pathways in the brain. Even with timely screening and proper treatment, other factors may lead to less than normal vision in premature infants. Modern treatment has reduced the devastating effects of ROP on the eye, yet worldwide it remains the leading cause of pediatric retinal blindness. With or without ROP, there can be profound vision loss due to amblyopia (lazy eye,) eye misalignment or the need for glasses.  For this reason, every premature infant deserves the lifelong attention of an ophthalmologist.