ROP is one of the most common causes of visual impairment in childhood
By 2020, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) will be the single largest cause of needless blindness and more than 50,000 school-entry children in India will be affected by it.
“ROP can be treated if detected on time,”said Dr Subhadra Jalali, Associate Director, Srimati Kanuri Santhamma Centre for vitreo-retinal diseases, and the Jasti V. Ramanamma Children’s Eye Care Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. “However many children continue to suffer from ROP due to lack of awareness among the medical community as well as general public,” she added.
ROP affects the retina in premature babies who are born weighing less than about 2.75 pounds (1250 grams) or those born before 31 weeks of pregnancy. ROP usually affects both eyes at the same time, and is one of the most common causes of visual impairment in childhood.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 18th Dr C Syamala Bhaskaran Endowment Lecture titled: Blinding diseases in premature newborns: Management of ROP in the 21st Century, Dr Jalali said, “RoP starts 2-3 weeks after birth thus providing a window period for screening and activating treatment at the right time.”
Dr Michael Trese, an international expert on ROP who delivered the lecture said, “In developed countries it is protocol for all newborn care units to have an eye specialist screen the retina of premature newborns for ROP so that early detection allows early laser treatment and child’s vision is saved.” “It is very disheartening to see that despite the association of ROP with low birth weight and prematurity, India is yet to make ROP screening mandatory,” he added.
L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad hosted the first ever dedicated hands-on surgical workshop in India devoted to retinal diseases of newborns and small children. Prominent retinal surgeons from India discussed and debated with world leaders, Dr Michael Trese and Dr Lingam Gopal, on strategies to improve awareness amongst the community on ROP and conducted skill-transfer for its advanced management. About 100 children with retinal problems were examined for expert opinion during this workshop.
EH News Bureau
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