Newswise — Denver, Colo. – Preterm babies with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treated using bevacizumab, a growth inhibitor, have been found to have lower motor scores than babies treated with traditional laser ablation. The research is being presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Denver, Colo.

At age 18 – 22 months, preterm infants treated with bevacizumab vs. retinal laser ablation were evaluated for their cognitive, linguistic and motor outcomes. infants treated with Bevacizumab had significantly lower motor scores, but no difference in cognition and language scores.

ROP is a potentially blinding disease in which abnormal blood vessels develop in the retina of premature infants. Alternatives to laser ablation – the traditional treatment for ROP – have been sought as ablation can destroy the peripheral retina, limiting vision.

Abstract Title: Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants treated with bevacizumab for severe retinopathy of prematurity Presentation Start/End Time: Wednesday, May 6, 12:15pm – 12:30pm Location: 1 Four Seasons BlrmAbstract Number: 4323

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting represent previously unpublished data and conclusions. This research may be proprietary or may have been submitted for journal publication. Embargo policy: Journalists must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data from paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation.

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2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)