Premature Babies in Pakistan Face Risk of Blindness

Doctors have cautioned that Pakistan is facing a growing epidemic of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), calling for mandatory nationwide screening of premature babies to prevent avoidable childhood blindness.

Key points

• While an estimated 300, 000 develop varying degrees of ROP, almost one million babies are born prematurely in Pakistan every year.
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• Punjab Announces New Opportunity for Doctors Under MNHC Program.
• Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is at present the only facility in Pakistan performing these highly delicate ROP surgeries.
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According to the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, improvements in neonatal care have rose the survival of premature babies, but they have additionally raised the number of infants at risk of developing ROP. Punjab Announces New Opportunity for Doctors Under MNHC Program.

While an estimated 300, 000 develop varying degrees of ROP, almost one million babies are born prematurely in Pakistan every year. Thousands of these infants require delicate, sight-saving surgery.

ROP is a potentially blinding eye disease that primarily affects premature babies. Blood vessels in the retina commence developing concerning three months after conception and normally complete their expansion by full-term birth.

When a baby is born prematurely, this development is interrupted and abnormal blood vessels may commence to grow in the retina. Without timely treatment, the condition can damage the retina and lead to irreversible blindness. Babies weighing less than 1.5 kilograms at birth are considered to be at the highest risk.

Dr. Amjad, a pediatric ophthalmologist and ROP specialist at Al-Shifa Trust, remarked Pakistan still does not have a nationwide screening program despite the substantial number of premature births. Pakistan Pharma Industry Opposes Changes To Drug Pricing Policy.

He pointed to neighboring India, where ROP-related blindness has been significantly reduced after the introduction of mandatory eye examinations for premature babies before they are discharged from neonatal intensive care units.

Treating advanced cases of ROP requires highly trained pediatric ophthalmologists, specialized anesthesia teams, and advanced surgical facilities.

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is at present the only facility in Pakistan performing these highly delicate ROP surgeries. The hospital carried out around 560 surgeries free of cost during the past year, but doctors remarked this represents only a small proportion of the babies estimated to require treatment. Stay Connected with ProPakistani. Obtain the latest news and stories wherever you prefer. Follow on Google Discover.

For now, premature Babies in Pakistan Face Risk of Blindness remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.