What Every Parent Of A Premature Baby Should Know For Preventing Blindness | Retinopathy of Prematurity Awareness Week 2026

As parents of a premature baby, imagine being already overwhelmed with fear, hope, gratitude, and exhaustion. So, it's not surprising that in the middle of all the blood tests and scans, one important test often gets missed: ROP screening. On the occasion of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Awareness Week (February 24–March 2), eye doctors reminds parents that this is not just another routine test but a screening that can save a child’s vision for life.

Says Dr Karthikeya, Senior Consultant Vitreoretina, Uvea & ROP at Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Gurgaon, “When a preterm baby is born, the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) has not fully developed. Abnormal blood vessels begin to grow on the retina of some babies. This condition is called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).”

If left untreated, ROP can lead to severe complications, including lifelong and irreversible blindness. However, ROP is almost entirely preventable... if detected and treated early.

Why Some Babies Are At Higher Risk

The risk of ROP is directly linked to how small and how early the baby is born. The smaller the baby (both in gestational age and birth weight), the higher the risk. In India, all babies born at or before 34 weeks of pregnancy, or weighing 2000 grams or less at birth, must be screened. Even babies who are slightly older or heavier may need screening if they were medically unstable. For example, if they had infections or required oxygen support for a long period.

Just because your baby looks stable now does not mean screening is unnecessary.

When Should Screening Be Done?

The first ROP screening is usually done at four weeks of life. In babies considered very high risk, the first screening may be done even earlier... at 2-3 weeks. Here is something many parents misunderstand: if the first screening shows no ROP, that does not mean you can stop worrying. ROP can develop later. Screening must continue regularly until:

• The retina has fully matured, or
• ROP is detected and treated

Missing follow-up appointments can be dangerous. ROP can progress silently without visible symptoms.

What Happens If ROP Is Detected?

There are four possible approaches to treatment:

1. Observation – For very early stages, doctors may simply monitor closely.
2. Laser treatment – This helps stop abnormal blood vessel growth.
3. Injections into the eye – These medicines control abnormal vessel formation.
4. Surgery – Reserved for very advanced stages.

The goal of screening is simple: detect ROP early enough so that surgery is never needed. Laser and injections are highly effective when done at the right time. But delay can reduce success rates significantly.

Laser and injections are highly effective when done at the right time (Getty Images)

Life After Treatment

If your baby has undergone laser treatment or injections, follow-up does not stop there. Children treated for ROP may need:

• Frequent eye check-ups
• Glasses at an early age
• Long-term monitoring, sometimes into adulthood

Even when treatment is successful, regular eye care is important throughout life. Parents must remember that early treatment saves vision, but continued care protects it.

Why ROP Awareness Week?

ROP Awareness Week is observed every year from February 24 to March 2 to spread awareness among parents, doctors, and hospitals about this preventable cause of childhood blindness. In India, ROP remains one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in children. As neonatal care improves and more preemies survive, the number of babies at risk for ROP also increases.

Many cases of blindness occur not because treatment was unavailable but because screening was delayed or follow-up was missed.

Practical Advice for Parents in the NICU

If you are a parent of a preterm baby, here are simple but important steps:

1. Ask your neonatologist about ROP screening before discharge.
2. Mark screening dates clearly and never skip follow-up appointments.
3. Do not panic if ROP is detected, early stages are treatable.
4. Follow your doctor’s advice carefully if laser or injections are needed.
5. Continue regular eye check-ups even after treatment.

If your baby is born early, eye screening is not optional.

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