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Retinopathy of prematurity blindness worldwide: phenotypes in the third epidemic
1Division of Ophthalmology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Wood Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Insights
Blindness from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is rising globally with better neonatal care. Socioeconomic factors significantly impact ROP blindness rates, affecting premature infants differently based on available resources.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of preventable blindness in premature infants.
- Improved neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have increased survival rates of premature infants, but also ROP incidence.
- Global disparities in healthcare resources influence the prevalence and outcomes of ROP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the worldwide trend of blindness caused by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
- To investigate the correlation between socioeconomic development and the occurrence of ROP-related blindness.
- To highlight the impact of varying levels of neonatal care on ROP outcomes in different economic contexts.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review of existing literature and epidemiological data on ROP.
- Analysis of ROP blindness rates in relation to national economic indicators and healthcare infrastructure.
- Comparative assessment of ROP management and outcomes across different socioeconomic strata.
Main Results:
- Blindness due to ROP is an escalating global health concern.
- ROP blindness rates exhibit significant variation, strongly linked to a country's socioeconomic status and NICU development.
- In high-resource settings, ROP primarily affects very low birth weight and low gestational age infants; in low- and middle-income countries, limited resources impact care for all premature newborns.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of ROP blindness is increasing globally, particularly in developing nations.
- Socioeconomic factors and the availability of advanced neonatal care critically determine the burden of ROP blindness.
- Addressing ROP requires tailored strategies considering regional healthcare capacities and resource allocation.
Abstract:
Blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an increasing problem worldwide as improved levels of neonatal care are provided in countries with developing neonatal intensive care units. The occurrence of ROP blindness varies dramatically with the socioeconomic development of a country. In regions with high levels of neonatal care and adequate resources, ROP blindness is largely restricted to premature infants with very low birth weight and low gestational age while in middle- and low-income countries with regional variation in technology and capacity, limited health resources may well limit the care of the premature newborn.
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