Definition:
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a condition associated with premature birth, in which the growth of normal blood vessels in the retina (a light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye containing rods and cones that receive an image from the lens and send it to the brain through the optic nerve) stops, and abnormal blood vessels develop. As a result, the infant has an increased risk of detachment of the retina. ROP can lead to reduced vision or blindness.
Cause:
The suggested causes of ROP are those conditions which stop the orderly growth of retinal blood vessels and stimulate their wild overgrowth. The most frequently mentioned conditions are prematurity, excessive oxygen, infection, and/or excessive exposure to light.
ROP occurs when abnormal blood vessels grown and spread throughout the retina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye. These abnormal blood vessels are fragile and can leak, scarring the retina and pulling it out of position. This causes a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is the main cause of visual impairment and blindness in ROP.
Several complex factors may be responsible for the development of ROP. The eye starts to develop at about 16 weeks of pregnancy, when the blood vessels of the retina begin to form at the optic nerve in the back of the eye. The blood vessels grow gradually toward the edges of the developing retina, supplying oxygen and nutrients. During the last 12 weeks of a pregnancy, the eye develops rapidly. When a baby is born full-term, the retinal blood vessel growth is mostly complete (the retina usually finishes growing a few weeks to a month after birth). But if a baby is born prematurely, before these blood vessels have reached the edges of the retina, normal vessel growth may stop. The edges of the retina, the periphery (side), may not get enough oxygen and nutrients.
Characteristics:
Children with an initial diagnosis of ROP are at risk for developing secondary visual impairment including some of the following:
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Retinal detachment
- Spotty vision
Some other eye conditions that may occur include:
- Myopia (a common condition in which light entering the eye is focused in front of the retina and distant objects cannot be seen sharply. In high myopia the eyeball is unusually long, whereas in physiological myopia the eyeball length is normal but the power of the cornea is too great for the axial length.)
- Nystagmus (an involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes, usually from side to side, caused by some illnesses that affect the nerves and muscle behind the eyeball
- Strabismus (a condition in which the eyes are not aligned in parallel, causing a cross-eyed appearance.)
Sources:
www.DrBillFoundation.org
www.familyconnect.org/eyeconditions.asp
www.afb.org
www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/
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