ROP Full Form in Medical is Retinopathy of Prematurity. Premature infants are more likely to develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye condition. It leads to the development of aberrant blood vessels in the retina, which can ultimately result in blindness.
Blood vessels in the eye develop improperly and bleed or leak in premature babies with retinopathy of prematurity. The retina, the outermost layer of the eye’s nerve tissue that relays visual information to the brain, becomes scarred as a result.
Scars can cause retinal detachment if they shrink and tug on the retina. In extreme circumstances, this can cause total blindness.
Retinal blood vessels start to develop at 16 weeks of gestation and continue to mature after birth. This growth can be interrupted or become aberrant if a baby is born prematurely. Most at risk are infants born before 31 weeks ‘ gestation or who weigh below 1500 grams at birth.
There are cases of ROP that are mild enough to heal on their own. However, scarring from other types of injuries can pull the optic nerve away from the retina if they are severe enough. In certain situations, surgical intervention is required to preserve eye sight.
When ROP first appears in a newborn, there are no outward symptoms. An ophthalmologist’s examination of the eyes is the only reliable method for making the diagnosis.