Major Morbidity Blindness		Most cases of blindness as a sequela of prematurity are due to bilateral retinal detachments from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). However, ROP is not the only cause of blindness in these babies. In fact, the most common cause of blindness in children is cortical visual impairment, from damage to the optic radiations or visual cortex. IVH and/or PVL in the premature can be associated with this type of damage. However, ROP is the most common cause of preventable blindness in children in the U.S. It is instructive to note the socioeconomic costs associated with childhood blindness. Even though there are far fewer cases of ROP-induced blindness than that associated with diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, there is a significant difference between a lifetime of blindness and end-of-life blindness. It has been estimated that the worldwide number of "blind-years" resulting from childhood blindness is similar to that from adult cataracts. Return to top of page