Webinar: Preventing retinopathy of prematurity in the very low birth weigh infant - the role of nutrition and exclusive human milk

Programme Overview:

Preterm Infants, especially those <30 weeks’ gestation and/or <1500 grams birthweight, are at high-risk for retinopathy of prematurity. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) pathogenesis is significantly influenced by changes in infant IGF-1 and VEGF levels, which is influenced by breastmilk. This series of videos covers this important topic and evaluates the role of a exclusive human milk diet in this very low birth weight (VLBW) population.

Learning Objectives:

By participating in this unit, participants should be able to:

• Recognise who is at risk and the epidemiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)
• Evaluate the potential benefits of breast milk in preventing retinopathy of prematurity
• Describe how breast milk may reduce retinopathy of prematurity in infants

Speaker Name:

Jonathan R. Swanson, MD, MSc
Associate Professor of Paediatrics
Medical Director, Special Care Baby Unit (NICU)
University of Virginia Children's Hospital
Charlottesville, VA