Screening Examination of Premature Infants for Retinopathy of Prematurity
Author(s): Walter M. Fierson,
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Section on Ophthalmology,
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY,
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY AND STRABISMUS,
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED ORTHOPTISTS
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Abstract
This policy statement revises a previous statement on screening of preterm infants
for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) that was published in 2013. ROP is a pathologic
process that occurs in immature retinal tissue and can progress to a tractional retinal
detachment, which may then result in visual loss or blindness. For more than 3 decades,
treatment of severe ROP that markedly decreases the incidence of this poor visual
outcome has been available. However, severe, treatment-requiring ROP must be diagnosed
in a timely fashion to be treated effectively. The sequential nature of ROP requires
that infants who are at-risk and preterm be examined at proper times and intervals
to detect the changes of ROP before they become destructive. This statement presents
the attributes of an effective program to detect and treat ROP, including the timing
of initial and follow-up examinations.