The term retinopathy refers to a serious lesion of the retina and vitreous body of the eyeball. The main cause of this disease is the deterioration of the blood supply to the retina of the eyeball. This occurs with vascular disorders. It appears as a symptom of a "white pupil". Most often occurs in deeply premature babies.
There are several risk factors in which the rate of development of newborn retinopathy increases dramatically.
- a small degree of maturity of the fetus (up to 32 weeks);
- long (more than 3 days) and intensive artificial ventilation of the lungs;
- Oxygen therapy for more than 1 month (in other words, a long stay in a kuveze - incubator for newborns);
- a small mass at birth (up to 2000 grams);
- various accompanying fetal pathologies;
- presence of any chronic inflammatory diseases in the mother;
- intrauterine infections;
- fetal hypoxia;
- bleeding during childbirth.
The eyeball must form in the womb of the mother. If a child is born before the due date, then some stages of development take place completely in other conditions. Light and oxygen are detrimental to the formation of retinal vessels. This leads to the development of the disease.
The development of retinopathy occurs in three stages:
- The first is the active period, lasting up to 6 months of age. At this stage, pathological changes in the retinal vessels occur.
- The second stage takes place in a period of up to a year. It marks the appearance of changes in the vitreous.
- The third terminating period is characterized by the formation of scars. During this stage (during the first year of life), the retina is gradually replaced by a connective tissue and loses its properties.
How to treat retinopathy?
Treatment of retinopathy of prematurity can be carried out conservatively or surgically.
The effectiveness of conservative methods is low. So, instillation of drops and the use of vitamin preparations are most often used to maintain the results of surgical intervention.
The choice of the method of surgical treatment depends on the stage of the development of the disease. At the initial stage, coagulation (gluing) of the retina is carried out. This procedure can be carried out using liquid nitrogen or a laser. Modern ophthalmologists prefer lazerocoagulation, as this procedure is painless. It, in contrast to cryocoagulation, passes without the use of anesthesia and with fewer complications. These methods of treatment, as a rule, show very good results. The formation of scar tissue stops and the pathological process of retinopathy stops.
There is a technique of scleroplombing, which allows to significantly improve vision with a small detachment of the retina. If it is not possible, an operation is performed to remove the vitreous. This procedure is called vitrectomy.
Symptoms of retinopathy of prematurity
Observe the behavior and condition of the child should be up to two years. If you notice the following symptoms, this is an occasion to consult a doctor for advice:
- the child does not see objects located far away;
- when playing with toys, puts them very close to the eyes;
- blinks one eye;
- the sight of the baby deteriorated sharply;
- develops and rapidly progresses strabismus.
Consequences of retinopathy of prematurity
Retinopathy in premature infants can lead to the development of serious complications. Among them, such as myopia, astigmatism, strabismus, glaucoma and cataract. The child can completely lose sight, therefore it is very important to notice the problem in time and find ways to solve it.