Save your baby’s eyesight from ROP with delicate care at the right place

Retinopathy of Prematurity(ROP) is an eye disease that usually happens in babies who are born before 36 weeks of gestation or weigh less than 2 kg during birth. Efficient screening and proper treatment are the most crucial factors to impede ROP-associated vision loss. Your child is safe in the hands of our specialists at Renuka Eye Institute, where your child will be observed, examined, and treated so that your child doesn’t miss a chance to see the world through the clearest vision.

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Everything you need to know about ROP

Underneath our retina, there is a wide network of blood vessels. These blood vessels conventionally grow rapidly during the last few weeks before the birth of a baby. If the infant is born prematurely, it can result in the abnormal growth of these blood vessels, which can result in Retinopathy of Prematurity. For certain babies, the severity of ROP can be mild and usually gets cured even without treatment. For most babies with Retinopathy of Prematurity, the symptoms don’t appear at an early stage. It is only when after the progression of ROP towards the acute stages that the child’s vision is threatened. An advanced stage of ROP can result in the retina pulling away or getting detached from the wall of the eye, possibly leading to vision loss or blindness. Therefore, need comprehensive treatment to safeguard their vision and prevent blindness.

The symptoms of ROP, often cases don’t meet our eyes during an early stage. Although in an advanced and severe case of ROP, the retina may partially or completely pull away from its conventional position in the eye, which is called retinal detachment, and can cause vision loss and even blindness.

If your baby is suffering from ROP and it has caused damage, you may notice at an advanced stage that:

Their eyes are wandering, trembling, or making other rare movements
Their eyes are not following particular objects
They are having a difficult time recognizing faces

Around the world, ROP is estimated to affect approximately 50,000 infants annually. There is no clear way to predict which infant will develop the more acute forms of retinopathy of prematurity.

Who are at the most risk to face ROP-related difficulties?

Babies born before 36 weeks of gestation
Infants who weigh less than 2 kg at birth

It is very important, that these babies are examined and observed by an ophthalmologist within 30 days of birth.

The doctors at Renuka Eye Institute use special and advanced instruments to examine the internal parts of the eye and figure out how much of the retina of both eyes may be affected by Retinopathy of Prematurity. According to the results of the examination, the stage of ROP is determined. Stage 1 is the least severe and stage 5 is the most. The procedure of treatment is decided after the evaluation of the stage.

The initial stages (stage 1 and 2 ) of retinopathy of prematurity generally does not need serious treatment. Although, it is for the well-being of your child that the doctor will schedule periodic eye examinations to ensure that your baby's condition does not get worse. It is essential to responsibly keep these appointments because the abnormal blood vessels could start developing at any time.

For the advanced stages of ROP, proper medical treatment is required. Renuka Eye Institute has all the facilities available for ROP surgery, done under general anesthesia by a team of specialists.

ROP Specialists

Dr. Anirban Chakrabarti

The treatments at Renuka Eye Hospital include

Laser Photocoagulation- This advanced medical procedure, which actually is a laser treatment is used to cease the abnormal growth of blood vessels through your child’s retina. It is one of the most effective ROP treatments. A laser beam is focused by the surgeon onto a tiny portion of the retina where the abnormal blood vessels are growing. The laser beam eventually heats up the specific portion which creates a mild burn in the blood vessels and blocks their growth. The abnormal blood vessels get smaller and ultimately disappear.
Scleral Buckling- The efficacious way to reduce the tension on the retina is to push the wall of the eyeball inward. The doctors use an object that looks like a rubber band. The flexible band is securely positioned around the sclera (white part of the eye), and it gradually pushes the inward eye surface up against the retina. This is named scleral buckling. After the job is done, the elastic band is taken away when the eye outgrows it or when the retina successfully gets reattached to the inside surface of the eye.
Vitrectomy- In this procedure, the doctor creates tiny openings in the eye wall to remove the vitreous fluid (the gel-like fluid that fills our eyes) and then substitute it with saline solution. In addition to it, the surgeon also eliminates the scar tissue on the retina that is pulling on the retina. A laser treatment might also be required to properly treat the retina and seal it in its normal position. This is effective in helping reduce the possibilities of retinal detachment and thus prevent your baby’s loss of vision.
Injections- Our doctors also inject medicines called anti-VEGF drugs into your infant’s eye. It can also be done as an alternative or along the laser treatment. These medicines block the growth of blood vessels, allowing the vessels to grow normally.

Prevention

All you can do to protect your child from ROP-related challenges

In India, 500ys children on average become blind from ROP every year. Every premature baby should be examined by an ophthalmologist within 30 days of birth and needs the long-term attention of the doctor. Even if any premature baby, is not diagnosed with ROP, it is advised to get the baby’s eye screened and examined on a regular basis by our doctors and plan follow-up sessions and keep up with the appointments. ROP can progress expeditiously; thus, it is important to take your baby for a proper eye examination as early as possible for optimum outcomes and adequate treatment to secure your child's vision.