Retinopathy of prematurity: clinical implications of retinal development.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding ocular disorder that is unique to the preterm infant. The current epidemic affects the smallest and illest preterm survivors of modern neonatal intensive care units. With the prevention of neonatal asphyxia, judicious curtailment of oxygen, and adequate doses of vitamin E, ROP has become a disorder that is generally restricted to infants weighing less than 1001 g at birth. The size of the surviving population of infants with ROP dwarfs all previous predictions of absolute numbers because survival rates of infants weighing 501-750 g at birth are now approaching 60%, and those of infants weighing 751-1000 g are now approaching 90%.