About this topic
Retinopathy of prematurity is an eye condition. It is also called ROP. It happens in babies who are born very early or are very small. In ROP, extra blood vessels grow inside the eye. This may cause bleeding or scarring of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eyes. In serious cases, the scarring pulls the retina out of position. Your baby may have problems seeing if there is damage to the retina. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your baby.
- Your babys tears will wash away any eye drugs used by your doctor.
- Do not let your baby touch the eyes after the exam.
What follow-up care is needed?
The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your baby needs carefully timed eye exams, so treatment can be done at the right time. The doctor will let you know if your baby needs treatment. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
Talk to the eye doctor about the drugs your baby will need to take. The doctor may order eye drops for your baby. Make sure that your baby gets these drugs as ordered. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activity of the baby will not be limited. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Pain in the eye
- Red eyes
- Lid swelling
- Blurred eyesight
- Light sensitivity
When do I need to call the doctor?
- A fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills
- Discharge from the eye
- More redness or swelling of the eye
- Loss of eyesight or other changes
- Your child is not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or your child is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my child's eye.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has discharge from the eye or more redness or swelling of the eye.
Where can I learn more?
National Eye Institute ‚
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop.asp ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚