Eye Exams to Screen Children’s Eye Diseases


American scientists have found that a simple eye exam could be used to screen children for a potentially blinding eye disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The eye disease affects prematurely born babies and can lead to the development of other serious eye problems including cataracts, glaucoma, myopia and more in later life.

Research, published online in the Archives of Ophthalmology, showed that the early diagnosis and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity acted to significantly better vision in the affected children. Researchers found that early diagnosis and treatment of children who varied in age, from infants to six year olds, had significant long-term vision benefits. Director of the National Eye Institute, Paul Sieving, says “This study has set the standard of care for infants with retinopathy of prematurity by showing that early treatment of selected high-risk premature babies has positive long-term results on vision”.

The disease affects prematurely born babies whose early birth may have halted the proper development of the eye’s network of blood vessels. Abnormally developed blood vessels can rupture, scar or pull near the retina and result in potential blindness. Medical experts treat the eye problem by user laser surgery or freezing cryotherapy to counter the abnormal vessels.

Scientists note that retinopathy of prematurity is one of the leading causes of childhood blindness worldwide. As many as 15,000 babies are born prematurely, in the US alone, every year and all are at risk of developing the eye problem. However, the survey also shows that not all children selected for early treatment, recover well. The scientists plan to develop further research into retinopathy of prematurity and hope, in time, to provide insights that will result in better prevention and treatment methods for the condition and other serious eye conditions.

14th April 2010

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