RAWALPINDI: The majority of premature newborns born weighing less than 1.5 kg were at a higher risk of developing retinal blood vessel disorganization, which can result in visual issues, including lifelong blindness. Chief of Medical Services, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Dr. Wajid Ali Khan, while talking to the media said that the development of the baby’s eyes was one of the numerous challenges faced in those first few vulnerable weeks by prematurely born babies that were born before 266 days. He said that the issue can be fixed with screening and surgery to help prevent major vision issues in children in the future. Dr Wajid explained that an infant’s eye development may be affected if delivered prematurely, adding the retina’s blood vessels start to expand three months after conception and finish at the time of normal birth. The smallest and sickest were most at risk of developing Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which was the primary cause of pediatric retinal blindness, he said and added that using extra oxygen to treat premature newborns in hospitals promotes aberrant vascular growth in the eyes. He informed that according to research, the rate of advanced retinopathy can be lowered by maintaining a lower oxygen saturation level. Dr Wajid stressed that to ensure that their premature infant receives the ongoing care of an ophthalmologist due to their increased risk of developing amblyopia, eye misalignment, and the need for glasses to develop normal vision, parents should incorporate a vision screening into their schedule between the ages of six and twelve months. He said that over 900,000 kids were delivered prematurely every year in Pakistan and 80 percent of them have vision issues. “Over 40 highly skilled eye surgeons, including most experienced eye specialists, work at the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital pediatric department while the pediatric department was able to provide treatment facilities to more than 500 OPD newborns per day,” he informed. Dr. Wajid Ali Khan added that “We have MoUs with the administrations of the Benazir Bhutto, Combined Military, and Fauji Foundation hospitals to provide all medical services, including screening ,surgery and transportation.” He said that Al-Shifa was one of the few hospitals in the world and the only one in the SAARC region with the most up-to-date equipment and trained medical professionals to treat newborns with ROP. Since March 2013, Al-Shifa had screened and treated newborns while in the past ten years, the trust has successfully treated almost 15,000 babies. He asserted that “As awareness rises, the number will inevitably rise while with the use of teleophthalmology, we are offering free consultation to all state-owned and private health facilities, including those located abroad.”