the most prominent
It is possible for a child to be born early, before his time, to raise the chances of him suffering from many eye disorders, so what are the eye problems in preterm infants? Here are the details.
In the following lines, we will review the most prominent eye problems in preterm infants
Eye problems in premature infants
Eye development is often completed during the third trimester of pregnancy, and although eye development may begin as early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, the most rapid growth of eye tissue may occur during the third trimester. So, the earlier a child is born, the higher the chances of him being born with defective eyes.
Here is a list of the most prominent eye disorders that may affect premature infants
1. Nystagmus
Nystagmus is an involuntary movement of the eyes, in which the eyeball begins to move back and forth in an uncontrollable manner. These are the most distinctive features of nystagmus:
Nystagmus affects both eyes.
The eyes begin to move slowly in one direction, then the eye ball moves suddenly and quickly back to its original location.
The eyes move in a horizontal direction, but the movement of the eyeball can sometimes be diagonal or rotational as well.
It is not necessary for a child to be born with nystagmus, as this problem may appear at a later stage during the months or weeks following the birth of the child.
Some factors may increase the chances of developing nystagmus, such as: incomplete development of the optic nerve in the infant, and the child having certain health problems such as vitiligo.
2. Strabismus
Strabismus is one of the possible eye problems in preterm infants, and it is a problem that appears in the form of a defect in symmetry between the directions of the eyes'' vision. In premature babies, the case is often of the type of internal squint (Esotropia), so that one of the eyes appears as if it is looking towards the nose.
This problem may arise from a defect in the muscles that control eye movement that may reduce their ability to work in a coherent manner. Researchers believe that this defect is often due to the brain not yet developing in a way that can control the movement of the eye muscles.
It is also possible for other factors to increase the chances of developing strabismus as well, such as: having some genetic diseases, exposure to an injury in the eye area, and having a hemangioma in the eye area.
3. Retinopathy of prematurity - ROP
One of the most common eye problems in preterm infants is retinopathy of prematurity, a problem that is often confined to premature infants.
This problem arises when normal retinal tissue is replaced by blood vessels and fibrous tissue that may a kind of tension on the retina, and this problem often affects both eyes.
Retinopathy may lead to many complications, such as:
Low vision or nearsightedness.
retinal detachment..
complete blindness
glaucoma
The chances of developing this problem are particularly high in preterm infants when a premature baby is born with a body weight of less than 1.25 kilograms before completing 31 weeks in the womb.
4. Eye problems in other preterm infants
Here are some other possible eye problems in premature babies
Blindness, which may sometimes result from a baby being born with underdeveloped eye tissue. Myopia (myopia).
Diagnosis of eye problems in premature infants
To diagnose eye problems in premature infants, these are some of the procedures that the infant may be subjected to:
Investigate the infant''s family''s medical history, especially with regard to eye and vision problems.
Examination of eyeball movement.
Examination of the eyeball and eyelid using light.
Light reaction test.
Treatment of eye problems in premature infants
The treatment available depends on the nature of the problem, as follows
1. Treatments for nystagmus
Like the following
Subjecting the child to the necessary treatments for the health problems that led to his nystagmus, and these are many and each has a different treatment.
Using glasses or special lenses to correct vision problems.
Subjecting the child to surgery, and doctors may resort to this type of treatment in particular if the nystagmus is accompanied by the child constantly tilting his head in a way that may affect his quality of life.
It should be noted that in many cases nystagmus may be a minor problem that may not require treatment.
2. Treatments for strabismus
Like the following
Subjecting the child to treatments that may help to strengthen the weak eye, such as: putting a patch on the child''s strong eye to urge the brain to receive images coming from the weak eye, and using special s to give a kind of blur to the strong eye.
Subjecting the child to surgery to repair any defect in the muscles that control the movement of the eyeball.
Other methods, such as: using medical glasses, and subjecting the child to regular eye examinations.
If the squint problem is not treated early, it may lead to permanent complications in the eye, such as amblyopia.
3. Retinopathy treatments
Like the following
Cryotherapy or laser therapy, to stop the growth of blood vessels and reduce the chances of retinal detachment.
Scleral buckling treatment, where the retina is fixed by placing a special band around the eye for several months.
Other methods, such as vitrectomy, and the introduction of some medications into the eye area.
In many cases the condition may be mild, and the affected child may not require any treatment.
In cases that need treatment, the earlier treatment begins, the greater the chances of preserving sight, especially central vision. It is possible that the above treatments may lead to a loss of side vision.
