Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Model for Ischemic Retinal Diseases in Rodents
Published on: September 16, 2020
Operational guidelines for ROP in India: A summary
Rajan Shukla1, G V S Murthy2, Clare Gilbert3
1Associate Professor, Health Policy and Management, India ROP Partners Implementation Consortium, Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, India.
Insights
Preventing infant blindness from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in India requires expanding screening and treatment services. New operational guidelines aim to scale up care, especially in special newborn care units, to address rising neonatal intensive care needs.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of preventable blindness in premature infants.
- India faces a growing challenge in managing ROP due to increased neonatal intensive care.
- Existing services for ROP screening and treatment require significant scaling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop operational guidelines for the prevention of visual loss from ROP in India.
- To facilitate the rapid scale-up of ROP screening and treatment services.
- To identify key stakeholders and their responsibilities within the Indian healthcare system.
Main Methods:
- Guidelines based on the Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ET-ROP) study criteria.
- Recommended broad screening eligibility: gestational age ≤34 weeks, birth weight ≤2000 gms.
- Consideration of varying neonatal care quality in special newborn care units (SNCUs).
Main Results:
- Proposed guidelines provide a framework for ROP prevention services.
- Broad screening criteria aim to capture at-risk infants across diverse SNCU settings.
- Treatment protocols align with established international standards (ET-ROP).
Conclusions:
- Scaling up ROP screening and treatment is crucial for preventing infant blindness in India.
- Operational guidelines are essential for standardizing and expanding ROP care.
- Further research on ROP risk factors specific to India may refine screening criteria in the future.
Abstract:
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding disease of the eye that can affect infants born four or more weeks preterm and have received intensive neonatal care. ROP is a dynamic, time-bound disease that is not present at birth. Preventing visual loss from ROP in India requires scaling up services for screening and treatment for ROP to match the exponential growth in neonatal intensive care in India and other low- and middle-income countries. Operational guidelines for prevention of visual loss from ROP will facilitate rapid scale up of services, by identifying key players and their roles and responsibility in the Indian context. The guidelines recommend broad eligibility criteria for screening (gestational age ≤34 weeks, birth weight ≤2000 gms) as the special newborn care unit (SNCU) have varying quality of neonatal care. Treatment is based on the early treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ET-ROP) study treatment criteria. The screening criteria could be revisited when more contextual evidence on the risk of ROP is available in India.
Related Concept Videos
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:11Guidelines for Writing Outcome
Patient outcomes reflect the patient's response to the goal rather than what the nurse aims to achieve. Terminology should be observable and measurable to avoid the reader's interpretation. The desired outcome should be realistic and achievable in the designated care timeframe. Expected outcomes should align with adjunctive therapies. The outcome should enhance care...
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
01:25Types of Reports I: Hand-off Report
Following are the key components and categories of hand-off reports:
Purpose and Process:
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders
01:06Legal Guidelines for Documentation