Timely screening, surgery can help avoid problems, save the sight of babies Al-Shifa signs MoUs with leading hospitals for free treatment of new-borns RAWALPINDI (July 19) More than 80 per cent of premature babies who weigh less than 1.5 Kg have high risk of developing Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) or disorganized growth of retinal blood vessels which can cause vision problems including permanent blindness, a leading eye-care hospital said Friday. Babies born prematurely (before 266 days) have many obstacles to overcome in their first fragile weeks, one of which is eye development that can be resolved through screening and surgical procedure to help avoid serious eyesight problems later in life, said Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital. The blood vessels of the retina begin to develop three months after conception and complete their growth at the time of normal birth. If an infant is born prematurely, eye development can be disrupted, said Brigadier (Retd) Rizwan Ullah Asghar, Executive Director Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital. Talking to journalists, he said that routine use of excess oxygen to treat premature babies in hospitals stimulates abnormal vessel growth in eyes with the smallest and sickest having the highest risk of facing devastating effects of ROP, leading cause of paediatric retinal blindness. All parents must include a vision screening in their list of baby check-ups between six and twelve months of age, said Rizwan Ullah Asghar adding that every premature infant deserves constant attention of an ophthalmologist because of their increased risk for eye misalignment, amblyopia and the need for glasses to develop normal vision. He said that we have signed MoUs with administrations of Fuji Foundation Hospital, Combined Military Hospital and Benazir Bhutto Hospital under which Al-Shifa will be providing all the facilities from transportation, to screening and surgery of the premature babies born in these hospitals. He informed that Al-Shifa is the only hospital in the Saarc and among few in the world having the latest facilities and skills to treat new-borns with ROP. Al-Shifa started screening and treatment of newly born babies, especially that of seven months, in March 2013 and cured around 150 in last three months. The number is bound to increase as the awareness grows, he said. Rizwan Ullah Asghar said that we are here to provide free guidance to all the state-owned and private health facilities including those in other countries by using Teleophtholmology. He added that Teleophtholmology can help save thousands from plunging into darkness for life. Anyone who seeks distant assistance needs to have an Internet connection for video conferencing with our doctors. -- 0300-5355563 alshifa-eye.org.pk
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 22:03:53 +0000
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