 Retinopathy of prematurity ROP is an abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the eye that occurs primarily in very premature infants. Eye development occurs normally in the womb; in infants born prematurely, however, the blood vessels must finish developing outside the protective environment of the uterus. Retinopathy of prematurity also known as retrolental fibroplasia is a leading cause of blindness and other vision impairments myopia, strabismus, and amblyopia in children, both in developed and developing countries. 