title: The challenge of screening for retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: Screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and the optimum treatment of sight-threatening disease requires detailed understanding of the infants at risk and timely identification. Despite a plethora of guidelines, not all populations and situations are adequately covered, so that what should be preventable visual disability still occurs. This article considers the design of screening guidelines and the possibility of a global guideline, although in certain parts of the world manpower for ROP screening is not available. Algorithms linked to the increase in weight of preterm infants over time may refine the number of babies needing to undergo treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visual Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK. clare.wilson@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Clare M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ells
authors.forename: Alistair R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fielder
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001724:Birth Weight; D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015430:Weight Gain