One in every 10 babies worldwide is born prematurely, and in Nepal, 30 percent of these babies are found to have ROP.
What you should know
Doctors have said that it is very important to identify premature babies' eyes as they may have problems.
Ophthalmologist (Medical Retina Consultant) Dr. Elly Pradhan Ranjitkar said that it is mandatory for premature babies to have an eye test within 28 days. She said that timely treatment can prevent blindness.
World Prematurity Day is celebrated on November 17. This day aims to raise awareness about the challenges faced by premature babies and their families.
On the occasion of this day, Dr. Pradhan said, 'In the case of such babies, the risk of serious eye diseases like 'Retinopathy of Prematurity' (ROP) is high. Eye test of newly born babies should be mandatory. If you have not done it, you should get it done, otherwise the risk increases.'
According to pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Sirjana Adhikari, if a baby is born before the age of nine months, there may be some problem with the retina of the baby. 'In which case, if blood clots in the retina and is not treated in time, the retina and blood vessels may rupture and the baby may become blind. Therefore, such babies should be examined by an ophthalmologist within a month,' she said.
According to Dr. Pradhan, one in every 10 babies worldwide is born prematurely, and in Nepal, 30 percent of these babies are found to have ROP. She said that babies born before 34 weeks, weighing less than two kilograms, and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for many days may develop eye problems.
