Retinopathy of Prematurity News and Research

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Two early-life findings stood out in children who later screened positive for autism risk

Children born very preterm were more likely than term-born children to screen positive for autism risk at age 5 using the Social Communication Questionnaire. Among very preterm children, cerebellar abnormalities at term-equivalent age and moderate-to-severe histologic chorioamnionitis were independently associated with higher autism screening risk, alongside male sex and higher social risk.

13 Aug 2026

Cortisone eye drops may reduce blindness in extremely premature babies

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital have conducted the first randomized clinical trial in the world to test cortisone eye drops to slow the progression of serious eye disease in extremely premature babies.

3 Aug 2026

Doctors find unexpected regional differences in retinopathy of prematurity in Norway

It's a mystery. The eye disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can make infants permanently blind if they are not treated. But there are big differences between how often Norwegian hospitals actually provide this treatment.

16 Jun 2026

AI predicts health outcomes for premature newborns from blood samples

An artificial intelligence-based tool can predict the medical trajectories of individual premature newborns from blood samples collected soon after they are born, a Stanford Medicine-led study has shown.

21 Jan 2026

Study finds no safety or efficacy gap between paracetamol and ibuprofen for neonatal PDA

In a UK pilot randomized trial, intravenous paracetamol and ibuprofen showed no statistically significant differences in short-term efficacy or safety when used as rescue therapy for hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants. The study demonstrated high feasibility but was not powered to determine clinical superiority or equivalence between treatments.

21 Jan 2026

Engineered vessels boost retinal organoid function, enabling advanced disease modeling

Until now, it has been difficult to maintain retinal ganglion cells deep inside organoids over extended periods. The supply of nutrients and oxygen in the densely packed tissues is limited, leading to cell death.

14 Jan 2026

Genetic differences in surfactant proteins influence retinopathy of prematurity risk

A new study from the University of Oklahoma suggests that small genetic differences in two proteins – previously known for their role in premature infants' lungs – may also influence how their eyes develop, potentially affecting the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

12 Dec 2025

Early lean mass shapes long-term brain development in preterm infants

Extremely preterm infants with higher fat-free mass at term-equivalent age show better cognitive, language, and motor outcomes through age three. Early lean-tissue growth offers stronger neurodevelopmental insight than traditional growth measures.

12 Nov 2025

Holder vs Retort: How milk pasteurization shapes preterm infants’ gut health

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that pasteurization methods shape the gut microbiomes of preterm infants fed donor human milk. Holder pasteurization preserved microbial diversity and beneficial taxa better than Retort, producing microbiomes more similar to those from mothers’ own milk.

17 Sep 2025

Targeting ADAM10 may offer hope for retinal disease treatment

New research has found that the endothelial cell-specific A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) regulates abnormal blood vessel growth in the damaged retina, which can cause vision loss or impairment.

25 Jun 2025

Exploring the complex association between anemia and retinopathy of prematurity

Anemia is a common condition in premature infants, particularly those at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

10 Apr 2025

The evolution of OCT for retinal imaging and disease intervention

Dr. Yifan Jian explores the evolution of OCT, challenges in retinal imaging, and AI's potential in biophotonics, shaping the future of ophthalmic diagnostics.

From Avantier Inc. 1 Apr 2025

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