Vision disorders are the 4th most common disability in the United States, and the most prevalent handicapping condition during childhood. Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is an eye problem that occurs mainly in baby born before 31 weeks of pregnancy. About 90% of all infants with ROP are in the milder category, and do not need treatment. However, infants with more severe diseases can develop impaired vision, blindness, and in rare cases death.
Universal Newborn Intraocular Screening (UNOS) is the only method to identify children with severe vision problems so that treatment can begin before the irreversible consequences occur.