By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Every year, premature children are born. When a premature child is born, it is vital that doctors and nurses provide adequate and appropriate health care and monitoring to prevent the onset of known complications that can be prevented. Retinopathy of Prematurity, otherwise known as ROP, is one of these complications. What is Retinopathy of Prematurity? ROP is a disorder that is potentially blinding to premature infants who are born before 31 – 32 weeks and who weigh 2 3/4 pounds are less. ROP is one of the most common causes of loss of vision to infants. It was first diagnosed in 1942. You can read more about Retinopathy of Prematurity at the Official Website for the National Institute for Health – National Eye Institute.
Complications in the form of blindness from can be prevented in many cases. If parents have questions about the care to a premature infant who has developed ROP, the parents should consult with a Child Injury Lawyer to determine if the care provided met the standard of care and if the blindness could have prevented with better care.