Prevent Blindness highlights free resources during Retinopathy of Prematurity Awareness Week

The organisation’s awareness efforts include fact sheets, multilingual social media assets, an updated video library and more. Image credit: ©Marinela – stock.adobe.com

The Second Annual Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Awareness Week is underway, per eye health organisation Prevent Blindness. The advocacy week, which runs from 24 February through 2 March, 2025, is designed to provide education and support for families of children with ROP, promote the role of early intervention programmes for children and explain how allied healthcare professionals may assist in continuity of care.

The organisation’s awareness efforts during this week will include updated fact sheets, web pages, social media graphics in English and Spanish and a new video series. The ROP Education and Support Programme and ROP Awareness Week are supported by funding from Regeneron.

ROP is an eye disease that occurs in some babies who are born earlier than 30 weeks of pregnancy, have birth weight less than 3 lb 5 oz (1,500 g) or have complications after they are born and receive extra oxygen for more than a few days. The condition affects the retina and occurs when the retinal blood vessels, which are not fully developed at birth, begin to grow abnormally and in the wrong direction.

Prevent Blindness recently conducted a roundtable discussion, “Your Child and ROP 2025.” This recorded session will be published as a free video series available on the Prevent Blindness ROP website and as part of the ROP-dedicated Prevent Blindness YouTube playlist to educate the public on this condition.

Prevent Blindness, which is based in the United States, will also collaborate with parent and advocacy organizations, including Hand to Hold, the National Coalition for Infant Health, and the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, to enhance and expand the reach of the programme.

Reference

Prevent Blindness Provides Free Retinopathy of Prematurity Educational Resources to Parents and Professionals, Including Updated Fact Sheets, Web pages, and a New Video Series with Medical Expert and Parent Testimonials. Prevent Blindness. February 18, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://preventblindness.org/2025-rop-awareness-week/