Preemies & Blindness
Despite advances in eye care, 500 to 600 premature babies
go blind every year across the nation.
"Amanda
was under two pounds, so we're checking her eyes to make sure
she's not a risk for retinopothy prematurity," Dr. Frederick
Jardon, an opthamologist at Providence Hospital, said.
Dr. Jardon checked Amanda for a disease that's very common
in preemie babies. The smaller the baby, the more common the
disease. At birth, Amanda was about half the size she is now.
That puts her at high risk for retinopothy prematurity.
"Back in the 50s, it used to be the most common cause of blindness
in infants," Dr. Jardon said. "It has gone down now because
of better care."
Better care assures any child under 1500 grams at birth should
be examined because the key is early detection.
"If
you don't catch the disease early and let it run its course,
you can go blind from it," Dr. Jardon said.
When Amanda was born, her parents were more concerned about
her making it into this world than a fear of blindness.
"I guess the vision portion we didn't think about until we
spent so many days here and learned step-by-step what kind
of tests they would give her," Kim Murray, Amanda's mom, said.
Babies
under two pounds at birth have a 60 percent to 70 percent
chance of developing retinopothy prematurity. Most will develop
normally, but some have problems.
"However,
the ones with problems can be treated with laser," Dr. Jardon
said. "In the old days we could only watch and tell parents
kids were going blind."
The laser reduces the risk of problems from 50 percent to
just 25 percent and that's good news for a mother who cherishes
the loving vision of her baby.
"I
think it's warm and toasty when I see her look at me," Kim
Murray said. "I know she recognizes me."
The
biggest problem is follow-up. Once babies go home, only 30
to 40 percent of parents bring their babies in for follow-up
care. Children remain at risk during their first five to six
years of life.
