Lack of Efficacy of Light Reduction in Preventing Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity is a leading cause of childhood blindness. It is a disease of the developing retinal vasculature in premature infants. Mild forms regress with little or no loss of visual function; however, more severe forms can lead to retinal scarring and visual loss in the neonatal period. The pathogenesis of the disorder is controversial, but it seems to be related to the infant's environment. Exposure to light was suggested as a cause of retinopathy of prematurity in the earliest description of this condition, 1 but later studies revealed no association between light exposure and the disease. 2 , 3 Subsequently, the . . .