A French study has found no link between use of anti-VEGF treatments for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and developmental disabilities.
Although the use of anti-VEGF treatments for ROP tripled from 2015 to 2022, those who received the intravitreal therapy were not more likely to develop a developmental disability than those treated with laser photocoagulation and/or cryotherapy.
“The use of intravitreal anti-VEGF agents to treat ROP in very preterm newborns does not appear to increase the risk of early neurodevelopmental disorders within the first six years of life,” researchers concluded in Ophthalmology Science.1
“While a small excess risk cannot be excluded, these findings might reassure clinicians, especially given the significant increase in the use of anti-VEGF agents to treat ROP in recent years.”
Reference
- Ben Ghezala I, Bonnet C, Bardou M, et al. Neurodevelopmental disorders in infants treated with anti–VEGF agents vs. laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy for ROP. Ophthalmol Sci. 2026;101371. doi: 10.1016/j.xops.2026.101371.