CHILDREN WITH BLINDNESS DUE TO RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY - A POPULATION-BASED STUDY - PERINATAL DATA, NEUROLOGICAL AND OPHTHALMOLOGICAL OUTCOME

A population-based group of ar children with total blindness due to re tinopathy of prematurity (ROP), born in Sweden from 1980 to 1990, was examined. They constituted all but two of the total of 89 children wit h total blindness due to ROP known to the national register of visuall y impaired children when reviewed from 1980 to 1 January 1995. All chi ldren had a gestational age of less than 31 weeks and most had had a c omplicated perinatal period. The retinal disease was discovered late, most often after it had already progressed to bilateral retinal detach ment, Repeated vitreoretinal surgery had been performed in most childr en, but postoperative visual function did not improve. Three-quarters of the group had major neurological impairment (mental retardation, ce rebral palsy, or epilepsy) at age 4 to 14 years. There was an impressi on that extensive ophthalmological efforts delayed neurodevelopmental assessments and examinations as well as adequate habilitation.