Retinopathy of prematurity in the 1990s.

Infants diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are at risk for developing visual impairments. The International Classification of ROP (ICROP) developed the most useful tool available for communicating the location and extent of the condition, with three zones to describe the location and five stages to describe the extent. Despite current knowledge and treatment, however, 500 infants are blinded each year by ROP. Infants at highest risk are the smallest and most immature. The nurse must understand why and how ROP occurs and the forms of management used to treat ROP. This article reports on the incidence, pathophysiology, risk factors, screening, treatment, and long-term complications of ROP in the 1990s.