Retinopathy of Prematurity



Abstract

The Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a disorder affecting vasculature of immature level within the eyes of the premature infants. The disorder could be ranged from mild to the aggressive either with the absence of visual defects or along with the formation of new blood vessel. The aggressive form of the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) could be progressed to the blindness or the retinal detachment. The incidence of Retinopathy of Prematurity has been increasing with the survival of younger and smaller babies. In the years 1940s and 1950s, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) was considered to be the leading cause of the blindness in the children living in the United States. The oxygen therapy has proved to be an important causative agent in the pathogenesis of the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) however other factors that play an important role have not been identified. The paper presents an in-depth analysis of the Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) including the factors that play an important role in the occurrence of the disease, stages involved in the disease, birth characteristics of the ROP, causes of the disease, treatment of the premature infants, risks and outcomes involved, parthenogenesis of the ROP, its correlatives, children suffering from the visual impairments, outcomes associated with the early speech language, effects of ROP in the educational process of the children and problems of working memory in the patients suffering from ROP.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstractii

Introduction1

Definition of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)1

Background of the ROP Disorder2

Composition of Retina4

Retinal Cell Types5

Neurons5

Muller Cells5

Microglia6

Astrocytes6

Endothelial Cells7

Birth Characteristics of ROP8

Causes of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)10

Treatment of Premature Infants12

Risks and Outcomes of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)13

Stages of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)13

Pathogenesis of ROP15

Past Studies on Prematurity17

Correlatives of ROP18

Social Risk factors of ROP18

Children with Visual Impairments21

Early Speech-Language Outcomes23

Speech-Language Outcomes24

Effects of ROP in Educational Process of Children25

Problems of Working Memory in ROP Patients25

Conclusion27

References28

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

Introduction

The Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a disorder that is associated with the development of abnormal blood vessel within eye retina in an infant that is premature. Early difficulties with oxygenation may also be associated, perhaps surprisingly, with vision impairment: retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a common complication with documented importance in the literature on long-term outcomes.

Definition of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

The Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is characterized by abnormal growth of the retinal vasculature, accompanied by the development of fibrous tissue that can cause retinal distortion or detachment. While the condition often resolves completely, it can also lead to lasting visual impairment or blindness (Varaghese & Cook, 2008, 879).

Coinciding with the history of ROP, the definition and classification of this disease also have evolved. The term ROP was introduced to replace RLF after the first expert meeting in 1984. This definition was expanded to include retinal detachment as an end result of the progression of ROP in 1987. The former terminology described the disease in its late stage, while the latter one extended the definition to describe the early phases of the disease. The updated consensus of “The International Classification of Retinopathy ...