title: The biology of retinopathy of prematurity: how knowledge of pathogenesis guides treatment.
abstract: Retinopathy of prematurity occurs because the retina of a preterm infant at birth is incompletely vascularized, and if the postnatal environment does not match the in utero environment that supported retinal development, the vessels and neural retina will not grow normally. Risk factors determined from many clinical studies and animal studies fall into 2 categories: prenatal factors and postnatal factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Lois.Smith@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Lois E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Anna-Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hard
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hellström
mesh_terms: D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D010100:Oxygen