What are the nursing methods for retinopathy of prematurity?

Babies born before 36 weeks of pregnancy are generally called premature babies, because premature babies are immature in all aspects of development, have a relatively low weight, and are also prone to other diseases, which cause great trouble to parents in taking care of them. Retinopathy of prematurity refers to retinal cancer, hyperplasia, etc. caused by blood vessel blockage and damage to capillary endothelial cells, leading to retinal detachment and blindness. Next, I will learn how to care for retinopathy of prematurity.

Once the disease occurs, it progresses rapidly and the time window for effective treatment is very narrow. Therefore, premature infants under 37 weeks of gestation should be examined promptly after birth, and those at high risk should be examined weekly. Laser or cryotherapy can be performed in stages 2 to 3 to coagulate the avascular area. In stages 4 and 5, vitrectomy is performed to remove the proliferative fibrovascular tissue and photocoagulation is performed at the same time to save vision.

The prognosis of vision for retinopathy of prematurity varies with the severity of the disease during the active phase and the extent of the remaining fibrous membrane. Those who can stop the disease on their own during the 1st or 2nd stage of the active phase will not have much damage to their vision. Those who have residual fibrous membrane but have not affected the macula can also retain good vision. When the fiber membrane is formed to 4 to 5 degrees, the vision is extremely poor.

Current medical knowledge is still not entirely clear about the cause of retinopathy of prematurity. Clinically, it is divided into the acute phase, degenerative phase, and scar phase. This condition usually occurs within the 3rd to 6th week after the birth of a premature baby. Parents should pay close attention to close observation, early detection, and early treatment to avoid causing terminal harm to the baby.