Mumbai doctors say, 'Preterm newborns at risk of vision loss in 30 days'

Preterm newborns can go blind within 30 days but you can prevent itrdquo urges a group of citybased ROP specialists deeply concerned about the rising number of preterm or lowbirthweight children at risk of lifelong vision loss due to Retinopathy of Prematurity ROP As the World Health Organisation commemorates World Prematurity Day on November 17 the Indian Retinopathy of Prematurity iROP Society launches a sustained mission to safeguard the vision of premature and underweight newbornsThese infants despite receiving intensive neonatal care face a heightened risk of vision loss owing to ROPThe specialists stress the importance of early diagnosismdashwithin thirty days of birthmdashto effectively treat ROP and avoid irreversible vision impairment in infants They cite recent cases involving infants of a renowned Bollywood actor and a popular director emphasising the crucial role of timely ROP diagnosis in preserving their visionDr Karobi Lahiri a consulting Vitreoretinal surgeon and paediatric ophthalmologist at Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences and National Ambassador for ROP explains that preterm babies born under 34 weeks weighing less than 2000 grams Indian babies and undergoing extensive lifesaving treatments in neonatal intensive care units NICU are particularly susceptible to ROP Early detection and aggressive treatment significantly reduce the risk of lifelong blindness in such preemiesldquoApproximately 50000 preterm infants are getting blind from ROP worldwide This is due to better survival of preterms from improved NICU facilities and greater numbers of birth of smaller babies due to multiple births through IVF conceptions which cannot be ruled outrdquo said Dr Lahiri highlighting the urgency to address this growing problem through precautionary measures and strict followupsldquoA small percentage of such premature infants apart from ROP also show other comorbidities in the form of neurodevelopmental defects which may also hamper their quality of life and they may need to be rehabilitated to ensure a better liferdquo she saidNumbers speakldquoRoughly 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide each year and India tops the list for the highest number of preterm births A staggering estimate of 3519100 preterm births was recorded in India in 2010 Of these if about 30 percent have access to neonatal care approximately one lakh babies survive annually yet remain at risk of developing ROP and thus require screeningrdquo said Dr LahiriDr Lahiri emphasises the crucial need for ROP screening in all preterm neonates outlining specific criteria for screening eligibility Babies born lt 34 weeks gestation andor lt 1750 grams birth weight Infants at 34367 weeks gestational age Those with a birth weight between 17502000 grams Infants born lt 28 weeks or lt 1200 grams birth weight require early screening within 23 weeks of age to enable early identification of APROPThe initial retinal examination should be conducted no later than 3 weeks of agerdquoWhy should we worryDr Lahiri presents alarming statistics revealing that out of 26 million live births in India around 2 million are at risk of developing ROP with an incidence rate between 38 percent and 519 percent among lowbirthweight infants Lack of awareness among ophthalmologists and neonatologists is contributing to a substantial increase in ROPrelated blindness imposing a significant socioeconomic burdenChildren not born with ROPldquoROP is not a blinding disease if detected early and aggressively on time The child is not born with ROP it develops within the first few weeks of life 3 to 6 weeks and it is a totally preventable disease A child need not go blind from ROP ensure early examination for your preterm baby at 3 weeks either in the NICU or from home and prevent a major catastropherdquo said Dr LahiriWay outldquoTo tackle this disparity Indiarsquos policymakers have demonstrated a strong commitment to newborn health resulting in a nationwide network of facilitybased newborn care unitsrdquo Dr Lahiri said emphasising the need for heightened awarenessNeed awarenessDr Anand Subramanyam head of retina services and ROP specialist at KBH Bachooali Charitable Eye and ENT hospital stresses the preventability of ROP and the urgent need for awareness among healthcare providers and parents ldquoWe have come across cases wherein Bollywood actors and directors whose preterm infants were in neonatal care for weeks to months and they were fortunate to have been timely diagnosed of ROP and their vision could be savedrdquo said Dr AnandTieup with BMCWith an aim to detect ROP in preemies within the golden hour window of thirty days in collaboration with civicrun hospitals including KEM Sion Cooper and Wadia Children hospital KBH Bachooali Charitable Eye and ENT hospital has initiated early screening for ROP among admitted preemies detecting two to three early cases on average among screened NICU infantsRetinopathy of Prematurity progresses through five stages necessitating careful monitoring and prompt treatment to avert severe vision impairment or blindness in infants Dr Lahiri and Dr Anand advocate for early intervention within the crucial 30day window to ensure effective treatment and prevent longterm visualcomplicationsNov 17World Prematurity Day