Retinopathy of Prematurity News and Research

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For infants born extremely preterm, redirection of care discussions occurred less often for Black and Hispanic infants

Whether the level of care they receive depends on the social status of the mother is a question recently explored in a study that appeared online in JAMA Pediatrics.

12 Mar 2024

Investigational protein replacement protects neonatal mice from deadly intestinal disease

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues found that an investigational protein replacement – recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 and its binding protein-3 (rhIGF-1/BP3) – protected neonatal mice from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly intestinal disease that often strikes extremely premature infants.

28 Feb 2024

Groundbreaking technology shows immense potential for treating ischemic retinopathy

A groundbreaking technology with immense potential in treating ischemic retinopathy in premature infants and diabetic patients has been developed by Professor Byoung Heon Kang and his research team in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Dong Ho Park's team at Kyungpook National University Hospital. Ischemic retinopathy, characterized by the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier and abnormal blood vessel growth, often leads to vision impairment and loss.

24 Jan 2024

Study identifies key factor in lung and eye damage in preemies

Advancements in the care of premature babies are leading to improved survival rates. However, the incidence of neonatal diseases with life-long consequences such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is increasing.

11 Dec 2023

Fatty acid combination supplement improves visual function in preterm babies

Preterm babies given a supplement with a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have better visual function by the age of two and a half. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg.

24 Aug 2023

Non-invasive technique can help identify infants at high risk for retinopathy of prematurity

Research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago promises to spare many premature infants from undergoing invasive eye exams to detect retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the most common cause of preventable lifelong blindness in children in the U.S.

29 Jun 2023

Stimulating a bile acid receptor can help protect the vision of premature newborns

It sounds like bile acid in the eye would hurt, but scientists think stimulating one of its receptors can actually help protect the vision of premature newborns.

30 May 2023

New deep learning AI model can help screen for retinopathy of prematurity in infants

The team developed a deep learning AI model that can identify which at-risk infants have ROP that may lead to blindness if left untreated, and they hope their technique could improve access to screening in the many areas with limited neonatal services and few trained ophthalmologists.

27 Apr 2023

New analysis highlights the need to prioritize addressing preventable vision loss in children in America

An analysis of the nation's first and largest comprehensive eye disease registry, the IRIS® Registry, sheds new light on what we thought we knew about childhood blindness in the United States: The leading causes appear to be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), nystagmus, and cataract, mostly treatable and preventable causes.

3 Oct 2022

Antenatal steroid therapy for pregnant women may improve survival among extremely preterm infants

Steroid treatment before birth appears to improve survival and reduce complications among extremely preterm infants, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

26 Sep 2022

Review may lead to improvements in therapeutic options for preterm infants

One in two premature babies receives transfusions of red blood cells (RBC) due to anemia. There are no generally accepted clinical guidelines for the degree of anemia necessitating blood transfusions.

26 Jul 2022

Fortified breastmilk does not influence IQ in preterm infants

Scientists compare the cognitive and psychological development of preterm infants who were breastfed with or without fortification.

13 Jul 2022

Blood adenosine levels positively correlate to the white matter lesions in very low birth weight premature infants

Prematurity affects about 10% of pregnancies worldwide each year. In about 20% of very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants, punctate white matter lesions (PWML) can be diagnosed at MRI at term equivalent age.

13 May 2022

Neonatal outcomes of preterm infants born during COVID lockdowns in Melbourne, Australia

A team of researchers from Australian institutes examined the consequences of community-wide lockdowns on neonatal outcomes of preterm infants, with a secondary focus on the underlying rates of systemic inflammation in infants and mothers around the time of birth.

5 Oct 2021

New wireless implant can help measure oxygen levels deep inside the body

Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a tiny wireless implant that can provide real-time measurements of tissue oxygen levels deep underneath the skin.

15 Apr 2021

Scientists find new therapeutic approach to effectively treat age-related macular degeneration

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) has been linked to retinal neovascularization and the development of abnormal blood vessels, which result in vision loss in diabetic retinopathy.

22 Feb 2021

New tool can employ MRI scan data to predict motor development risks for preterm infants

As many as 70% of very premature infants (born earlier than 32 weeks gestation) show signs of white matter abnormalities at birth. But only some of those infants go on to develop cognitive, language, motor, or behavioral disorders as they grow.

30 Sep 2020

Choosing the best milk fortifiers can lead to improved health outcomes in premature babies

More than 380,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, according to the March of Dimes.

13 Aug 2020

Scientists identify new treatment targets for blinding retinal disease

When the eye isn't getting enough oxygen in the face of common conditions like premature birth or diabetes, it sets in motion a state of frenzied energy production that can ultimately result in blindness, and now scientists have identified new points where they may be able to calm the frenzy and instead enable recovery

10 Aug 2020

A faster and easier treatment option to prevent blindness in preterm infants

Babies born prematurely who require treatment to prevent blindness from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) could be treated with a dose of Avastin (bevacizumab) that is a fraction of the dose commonly used for ROP currently.

23 Apr 2020