When babies are born early, their major bodily systems are immature and the initial years can keep them exposed to various health risks. Preterm birth complications are real and Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one such serious issue that has been recognised as an important cause of childhood visual impairment and blindness since the 1940s. ROP is a condition that affects pre-term and low birth weight babies, it mainly affects babies born before 32 weeks. This condition affects the development of the blood vessels of the retina. These distorted developments of the blood vessels in the retina can lead to scarring, retinal detachment, and even blindness.
However, improved facilities and early treatment have significantly increased the survival rate of premature infants. Although ROPs incidence and severity is recorded less in developed countries over the past two decades, the high rate of both is still increasing in developing nations like India. After gaining clarity on what is Retinopathy of Prematurity, it’s important that we seek clarity on retinopathy of prematurity symptoms before learning about the retinopathy of prematurity treatment. It is important for parents to know that the symptoms or signs of retinopathy of prematurity take place deep inside the eye, which makes it almost impossible to detect while just looking at the child. Only an ophthalmologist, who is trained to recognize and treat ROP can unmask these signs, through instruments to examine the child’s retina.
The premature baby with severe ROP might show up visible difficulties, such as nystagmus and leukocoria. However, these can also be general signs of difficulty in vision and if parents detect any of these, they should see an ophthalmologist right away. Babies born before 32 weeks or under 1.5 kg should be screened for retinopathy of prematurity which should ideally be carried out within 25 to 30 days after the baby is born. This examination is a completely painless procedure and takes a few minutes to examine both the eyes and diagnose ROP if present. During the examination, all the retinal areas should be inspected thoroughly. Screening involves the monitoring of retinal vessels as they develop and also looking for immature retina and plus disease. Treatment involves accurately targeting areas of the retina to stop new blood vessels from irregular development.
The retinopathy of prematurity stages describe how far the disease has progressed wherein, Stage 1 has mild abnormal vessel growth and Stage 5 is considered to be the “end-stage” wherein the abnormal growth and scarring are so severe that the retina detaches. This detachment is treated through unique and demanding surgical techniques. The treatment for ROP aims to prevent blindness which is why screening for Retinopathy of prematurity is very important. Laser therapy or cryotherapy are considered to be the most effective treatments for ROP. Laser therapy discards the periphery of the retina, which is free from normal blood vessels. Also, the extreme and more severe stages of ROP are treated through scleral buckle and vitrectomy. With the ongoing tech-driven transition in the healthcare sector, the scope for new and innovative treatment has increased. However, early detection of the issue remains the key. Consultation with the pediatrician is a must to know if examination by an Ophthalmologist and screening is required.