He faced a serious condition called Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity and spent nearly three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

A 27-week-old premature infant boy was diagnosed with Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a devastating eye ailment brought on by his early arrival and his mother's gestational diabetes. He was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for almost three months before receiving a unique treatment at a private hospital to save his vision.

The illness jeopardized the infant's vision, so when their little baby finally arrived, the parents were taken aback and perplexed, simultaneously feeling relieved and concerned,” said the mother. “You can't look at such a tiny baby and think this is going to be alright.”

“I was overwhelmed with worry, fear, and helplessness. Seeing my newborn struggling was distressing, but I held onto hope and prayed for his strength,” she added.

His adventure started in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Medcare Hospital on Sheikh Zayed Road, where he was given the utmost attention from medical specialists for 92 days.

One of the several issues that preterm newborns who arrive far early than the average 40-week gestation period face upon entering the world is underdevelopment of the eyes, according to Dr. Prasan Rao, a specialist ophthalmologist at Medcare Eye Centre. “Normally, the retina, the part of the eye responsible for vision, finishes developing by the 40th week of pregnancy. However, in premature babies, parts of the retina might not fully form,” said Dr Rao.

Chronic lung illness

The baby required artificial ventilation to breathe due to a severe lung condition. Loss of vision at birth was a typical health risk, as he was delivered prematurely due to difficulties resulting from his mother's gestational diabetes.

The retina begins to grow at the sixteenth week of pregnancy, according to the doctor, and by the twenty-seventh week, certain areas of the retina have blood vessels while others do not.“So the child was born during retinal development, his retina was not fully developed,” said Dr Rao.

Doctors discovered this issue around six weeks after the baby's birth. “Typically, blood vessels should grow across the surface of the retina, reaching its surface. But in some premature babies, these vessels grow abnormally into the gel inside the eye, which can shrink and cause the retina to detach. This condition is known as stage 3 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and it requires treatment,” said Dr Rao.

Laser therapy and injections are available as treatment alternatives. Upon the baby's six-week assessment, the physicians chose to employ intravitreal injections rather than laser therapy to induce regression of the anomalous blood vessels. One intravitreal injection is sufficient to stabilize the majority of ROP eyes.

About 90 to 95 percent of the time, one injection is sufficient to promote healthy artery formation, according to the doctor. “However, in this baby's case, the initial treatment didn't work, so a second injection was necessary around 42 weeks, which is about 15 weeks after birth. “Thankfully, the second injection showed progress,” said Dr Rao.

“Babies with ROP typically won't show any signs or symptoms, and parents usually learn about the condition through routine tests. Premature babies undergo regular check-ups to monitor their health, so for the parents, everything may seem normal despite the underlying condition,” said Dr Rao.

Consequently, the condition's severity declined, progressing from stage 3 to stages 2 and 1, until eventually stabilizing at normal. All of the baby's medical needs have been met, and his vision is now perfect.

“We were filled with worry as we watched our little one bravely battle through this uphill struggle, but seeing his strength filled us with pride. Now this ordeal is finally over,” said the mother.