Each year, nearly 4 million babies are born across the U.S. Of those, around 14,000 will develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye condition that causes abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina and typically affects babies born prematurely, or with a low birth weight.
The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus reports that 90% of those cases are mild and many outgrow the condition, but as many as 1,500 babies develop severe ROP and must undergo medical treatment, and 400-600 babies become legally blind from ROP each year.
Catching ROP early is crucial to preserving vision.
Jennifer Jung, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the retinopathy of prematurity service at Children’s Hospital Colorado, shares how she and fellow specialists diagnose ROP, the ways they treat the condition, and the potential long-term effects.