Neurodevelopment of Children with Retinopathy of Prematurity in Belagavi city: An Observational Study

Retinopathy of prematurity   results from disrupted angiogenesis as a result of preterm birth and exposure to higher levels of oxygen postnatally than in utero .Globally, retinopathy of prematurity  is common in both high income  and low income  countries, causing blindness or severe visual impairment in 20,000 to 30,000 children from 2000 to 2009. ROP is also linked to developmental delays, though this is less studied in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).In India, retinopathy of prematurity  prevalence ranges from 44% to 47.27%, with significant prenatal and postnatal risk factors. While most studies focus on retinopathy of prematurity prevalence and risk factors, there is limited research on its link to neurodevelopmental disorders . A Tamil Nadu study found that 68.4% of infants with retinopathy of prematurity  had neurodevelopmental delays, highlighting the lack of awareness of this association in low- and middle-income countries.Hence the present study is intended to determine the neurodevelopment of children with ROP