Preterm babies treated with bevacizumab for severe retinopathy of prematurity have lower motor scores

Preterm babies with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated using bevacizumab, a growth inhibitor, have been found to have lower motor scores than babies treated with traditional laser ablation. The research is being presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Denver, Colo.

At age 18 - 22 months, preterm infants treated with bevacizumab vs. retinal laser ablation were evaluated for their cognitive, linguistic and motor outcomes. infants treated with Bevacizumab had significantly lower motor scores, but no difference in cognition and language scores.

ROP is a potentially blinding disease in which abnormal blood vessels develop in the retina of premature infants. Alternatives to laser ablation - the traditional treatment for ROP - have been sought as ablation can destroy the peripheral retina, limiting vision.

Abstract Title: Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants treated with bevacizumab for severe retinopathy of prematurity
Presentation Start/End Time: Wednesday, May 6, 12:15pm - 12:30pm
Location: 1 Four Seasons Blrm
Abstract Number: 4323

Source: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology