Brain Health

IGF-1 for Premature Infant Eye Disease Shows No Clear Benefit in Small Trials

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness in premature infants. IGF-1, a growth factor that normally supports retinal vessel development in the womb, drops sharply after preterm birth — potentially triggering abnormal vessel growth. This Cochrane systematic review pooled data from two randomized controlled trials (140 total infants, 23–27 weeks gestational age) testing intravenous IGF-1 (mecasermin rinfabate) against standard care. Results showed no statistically significant effect on ROP development at any severity level, and a possible signal of increased serious adverse events in the larger trial. All findings were rated very low certainty due to small sample sizes and high risk of bias in both studies.