Experts say one cause of high rates of blindness is retinopathy of prematurity (Rop), which occurs in premature infants and can be caused by being given too much oxygen after birth.
Douglas A. Staples, senior vice president of strategic marketing and communications for the March of Dimes, said rates of premature births in the United States had risen with greater use of fertility drugs, leading to multiple births, which are often premature; there is also a higher risk of prematurity in births among pregnant teenagers and older pregnant women.
The Arizona chapter of the March of Dimes said last week that the state's premature birthrate was 12.7 percent in 2009; it also said an 8 percent reduction in this rate would set the state's goal at 11.7 percent by 2014, while a longer-term target of a premature birthrate of 9.6 percent would represent a 24.4 percent reduction in prematurity by 2020.
According to a 2002 analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least a third of all infant mortality in the United States arises from complications of prematurity; other studies assert the figure is closer to half.
After a series of disclaimers, about the admittedly high demands of his current job and the prematurity of Mr Ban succession talk, Mr Kubiš admits he is intrigued.
Better and more affordable medical care actually has worsened the rate of prematurity, and likely the rate of infant mortality, by making fertility treatment widespread.
By contrast, the majority of deaths in developed countries result from extreme prematurity or birth defects that kill a newborn in the first few days or weeks of life.
Retinopathy of prematurity is associated with the administration of high concentrations of oxygen, given to susceptible infants in an attempt to prevent respiratory disease.
Despite the potential risk of retinopathy of prematurity, many infants require the use of supplemental oxygen to prevent neurologic dysfunction and loss of life.
Retinopathy of prematurity, also called ROP, disease in which retinal blood vessels develop abnormally in the eyes of premature infants.
With current approaches to oxygen therapy and close monitoring, retinopathy of prematurity has become less common.
