Eye screening of newborns crucial

Hyderabad: Screening of newborn babies immediately after birth is very important as it is found that around 15 to 21 per cent of them are premature. Around 28 million children are born every year in India. In these pre-term babies screening of the eyes is the last option and due to this reason it is found that more than one million newborns go blind in the first two months of life. Senior ophthalmologists state that even gynaecologists and paramedical staff are not sensitized properly to get the eyes screened.

In the year 2000, L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital would get one case of retinopathy in new born child in a week but now they are seeing four cases every week.

Causes of retinopathy in babies includes use of assisted fertilization techniques (test-tube babies), early delivery to avoid still births, early age of pregnancy, poor maternal health, maternal stress and few unknown factors.

Every low-birth weight child weighing less than 200 grams or the child born in less than 35 weeks must be checked for the growth of the retina. It is important to get the screening done within 20 to 30 days of birth or before discharge from the hospital. The family must be sensitized about the reason for screening of the eyes which is very important for them to come back to the hospital for proper treatment.

Dr Subhadra Jalali, associate director of L V Prasad Eye Hospital explained, “Most of the new born centres including government hospitals are yet not having a weekly eye-screening of premature babies. Weekly eye-screening program is mandatory as it helps to evaluate the eye-health of the child. The problem of retinopathy starts two to three weeks after birth. Hence it is important that weekly eye programs be started in government hospitals so that these babies can be tapped and blindness prevented. While New Born Eye Examination has been included by the government it is not yet in operation in any of the hospitals in India.”

If not detected and treated within a month of birth, slowly the eye starts to become small, shrunken and white due to retinal detachment. In three to four months the vision is irreversibly lost. No transplant for retinopathy, no stem cells, no gene therapy or even bionic eye is possible stated experts. Dr G Prasad, senior ophthalmologist explained, “Private hospitals in the city are now making eye-screening mandatory but it is limited to city hospitals. District and town hospitals also need to have a visiting ophthalmologist for newborn children. Also sensitization by the government will go a long way in bringing down theses numbers as it can be prevented with timely treatment.”

Preventive Tips

• Mother needs to ensure good weight gain and avoid problems like anemia during pregnancy.
• Pregnancies with high risk factors like uncontrolled hypertension require medication in the second trimester to protect babies from problems of lungs and eyes.
• In premature babies, Retina-ROP screening must be carried out three to four weeks after birth. For this the doctors and counsellors must guide parents properly so that they can avail treatment, and save the vision of their children.