In a study recently published in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, researchers found that retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (i.e., abnormal development of the retina that can lead to blindness) was more common in premature infants treated with steroids. Steroids are often administered to premature infants with low birth weights to foster lung development.

Researchers urged clinicians “to use their best judgment to balance the positive effects from steroids on developing lungs with potential negative effects on developing eyes in very premature infants.”

Click here ^[1] to read the press release announcing the results of the study.

Click here ^[2] to read an abstract of the study and access instructions to download the full article.