What causes neonatal retinopathy?

Newborns will face many diseases after birth. Newborns have poor resistance and many organs are not fully developed. They are more susceptible to bacteria or diseases. Therefore, they will suffer from many neonatal diseases, such as neonatal retinopathy. This disease will affect the vision of newborns and cause serious harm to patients. In severe cases, it will cause blindness. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the disease. To prevent the disease, we must find the cause of the disease. So what causes neonatal retinopathy?

The cause of the disease is still unclear, but risk factors include low birth weight, premature birth, and oxygen therapy.

1. Premature birth and low birth weight

Main reason: The retina is immature and has a gray-white dividing line that the blood vessels cannot cross, preventing the blood vessels from growing normally.

The lower the birth weight and the younger the gestational age, the higher the incidence of ROP and the more severe the condition.

2. Oxygen therapy

There are currently two theories about the cause of the disease:

(1) The longer the oxygen therapy time, the higher the inhaled oxygen concentration, the higher the arterial oxygen partial pressure, the higher the incidence of ROP, and the more severe the condition. The incidence of ROP is higher in patients using CPAP or mechanical ventilation than in those using oxygen via a hood. Patients generally have a history of excessive oxygen inhalation in an incubator after birth.

(2) Rapid cessation of oxygen administration after high concentration causes relative tissue hypoxia, which promotes ROP, regardless of the short oxygen uptake time. Fluctuations in arterial oxygen tension play an important role in the progression of ROP.

3. Others

(1) Hypoxia, acidosis (pH <7.25), anemia, blood transfusion, hyperbilirubinemia, hypernatremia, hypoglycemia, hypothermia <35.6°C, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, sepsis, light exposure, and use of xanthine drugs caused by various factors.

(2) β-blockers: They enter the fetus through the placenta, increase choroidal vascular tone, and promote the development of ROP.

(3) Arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2): Too low PaCO2 can cause retinal vasoconstriction, leading to retinal ischemia and ultimately ROP.

(4) Maternal anemia and multiple fetuses, etc.

The above content is the cause of neonatal retinopathy. After understanding neonatal retinopathy, we must do a good job of preventive health care for the health of newborns. Premature newborns should be paid more attention as they are more susceptible to this disease. Parents should pay attention to eye hygiene when taking care of their children, and pay attention to light exposure. The organs of newborns are not fully developed, and strong light can damage the eyes, making them more susceptible to eye diseases.