The condition is especially common in very small babies. It is more likely to occur at one or two pounds than at three pounds. Despite improved medical care, the disease is becoming more common because smaller and sicker infants are surviving. Supplemental oxygen given to premature babies may be part of the cause of ROP, but not the only factor, as once thought. In severe cases, the retina may be extremely scarred and detached.
Many cases get better without treatment and only a small number of children go blind.
Glasses, patching, and eye muscle surgery can help these associated problems. Follow-up exams of severely affected children should continue periodically. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes caused by changes in the blood vessels of the eye. If you have diabetes, your body does not use and store sugar properly. High blood sugar levels create changes in the veins, arteries and capillaries that carry blood throughout the body.