What are the retinal examination items for premature infants?

Pregnant women nowadays do not pay attention to their own bodies at all. After pregnancy, they should go to the hospital for regular prenatal check-ups, so that they can know in time whether their fetus is healthy or what kind of diseases it has. Generally, premature babies are very likely to suffer from various diseases, so it is best to reduce the birth rate of premature babies, take good care of your body and avoid premature birth. Premature babies must have their retina checked, so let us learn about the retinal examination items.

Laboratory tests:

Vascular closure occurs during periods of excessive oxygen intake. The earliest change in the subsequent active proliferative phase is the appearance of capillary endothelial proliferation nodules in the retinal nerve fiber layer. The blood vessels are often spherical, surrounded by spindle-shaped mesenchymal cell proliferation, resulting in thickening of the nerve fiber layer, and sometimes small hemorrhages and edema (Figure 1). As the lesion progresses, the nerve fiber layer further thickens, and the newly formed capillary sprouts penetrate the internal limiting membrane to reach the retinal surface. In severe cases, they may further enter the vitreous body, where they may continue to grow into vascular fiber membranes, causing bleeding or traction retinal detachment.

In the late stage, varying degrees of vascular fibrous membrane formation can be seen behind the lens, and there are many fibrous cords connecting this membrane to the retina. In mild cases, there may be no retinal detachment, while in severe cases, the entire retina may be detached and adhere to the posterior fibrous membrane of the lens. In addition, anterior synechiae, posterior synechiae, pupillary membrane formation and secondary glaucoma changes may also occur. In very advanced patients, it is difficult to diagnose retrolental fibrosis based on tissue sections alone, and it is often misdiagnosed as pseudoglioma, Coats disease, etc. However, if a capillary-free area is found in the peripheral retina, it can serve as an important diagnostic basis.

Other auxiliary examinations:

No special auxiliary examinations.

Since premature birth, low birth weight and lack of oxygen are the most dangerous factors for ROP, the incidence of premature infants should be minimized. Reasonable oxygen therapy and care are the key to prevention. Inappropriate abuse of oxygen and excessive invasive operations can lead to ROP. Therefore, the indications, methods, concentrations, and time of oxygen therapy must be strictly controlled, and blood gas must be monitored at the same time to keep PaO2 at 4.9-7.8 kPa (37-60 mmHg). Actively treat the primary disease and shorten the time of oxygen therapy.

The above article introduces to us what are the retinal examination items for premature infants. Premature infants generally have difficulty breathing or the possibility of congenital retinal disease. They must be treated early to have a chance to alleviate the occurrence of this phenomenon.