Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

What Is ROP?

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) refers to the presence of abnormal blood vessels and scar tissue growing within and over the retina, the light detecting layer of cells inside the eye.  The condition, formerly called retrolental fibroplasia, primarily affects premature babies weighing less than three pounds at birth.  Retinopathy of prematurity can be detected in the neonatal care unit or nursery by an ophthalmologist (eye physician and surgeon) during an ophthalmoscopic examination of the infant's dilated eye.

What Causes ROP?

The causes are complex and not completely understood.  It was once thought that oxygen was entirely responsible for all cases of ROP.  Newer evidence indicates this is not true.  Factors which appear to influence this condition are primarily the degree of prematurity and birth weight.  For example, the chance of a baby developing ROP who weighs three pounds at birth is about 5%, but in creases to 40% or more for an infant weighing less than two pounds.  The retinal blood vessels in a very small, premature baby seem to develop abnormally during the therapy necessary for the infant's survival.

Will ROP Affect Vision?

When the diagnosis of ROP is first made, it is difficult to predict how much the eyesight will be affected.  In many infants, the abnormal blood vessels shrink or go away without affecting vision.  In others with more extensive disease, bleeding and scar tissue may lead to distortion or detachment of the retina.  This may result in moderate to severe loss of vision.  Only a very small percentage of babies become blind.  Nearsightedness (myopia) is common in children with ROP.  Glasses may improve the vision of these children, unless the eye is badly damaged.

Can ROP Be Prevented?

The sophisticated medical care provided in modern neonatal intensive care units has improved the survival chances of very small babies and consequently ROP has become more common in this group.  Unfortunately, laboratory and clinical research has not yet found a way to prevent ROP in all babies.

Can ROP Be Treated?

Some babies' eyes with ROP do well without any treatment.  In more severe cases, cryotherapy (freezing) shows promise as a treatment.  The pen-like tip of the cryotherapy instrument briefly freezes peripheral areas of the retina through the outer wall of the eye.  When successful, the treatment can slow down or reverse the abnormal growth of blood vessels ad scar tissue.  Nevertheless, there is still a definite risk of serious vision loss even with this treatment.  The long-term effects of cryotherapy for ROP are not known, but research studies are being conducted to answer this question.

Quick Links

Click the links below to learn more about some of the conditions Green Bay Eye Clinic physicians specialize in.

Cataracts

Blepharoplasty

Glaucoma

Extraocular Muscles

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

Retinal Detachment

Ocular Histoplasmosis

If there is a condition not listed here that you would like to be consulted about, contact us.