Study of the Implication of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinopathy of Prematurity in New-born Infants

The development of the retinal vascular network is generally complete during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy but may continue during the first 15 days of life. This late maturation may cause problems in pre-term births and may result in immature vascularization of the retina, a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. Among the different factors affecting the development of the retinal vasculature, the tissue level of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) appears to be a crucial element, as does the form of the PUFA present in the tissues (nature of the phospholipids in their membranes). This project aims to show a possible association between levels of omega-3 PUFA and the onset of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).