Visionary Research: Zietchick Research Institute
Retinopathy of Prematurity in Children
With full-term pregnancy gestation lasting 38–42 weeks, retinopathy of prematurity predominantly affects infants born before 32 weeks of gestation or have a significantly low birth weight of 1500 grams or less (3.3 lbs). The disease may result in severe eye damage if left untreated and approximately 14,000–16,000 infants born annually in the United States are affected by some degree of retinopathy of prematurity. Due to the fact an infant’s eye is not fully developed until the end of a pregnancy, the gestational age of the baby at birth will determine the likelihood of the infant developing long-term vision complications.
Zietchick Research Institute, founded by Tammy Z. Movsas, is located within the Michigan Life Science and Innovation Center in Plymouth, MI. Dr. Movsas is a pediatric eye specialist and expert in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
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Having received competitive federal grants from NIH grants from the National Eye Institute as well as grants from the State of Michigan, Dr. Movsas and her team of professionals continue to perform visionary research.
What is Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)?
Retinopathy of prematurity is a progressive eye disease which is the result of abnormal development of blood vessels in the retina and is normally seen in both eyes. ROP is typically classified in five stages from mildly abnormal blood vessel growth to a wholly detached retina, severe visual impairment, often leading to blindness.
Complications
Depending on the severity of the case, the disease may improve and leave no permanent damages. Premature infants who are at risk of ROP are identified in the hospital and enrolled in a screening protocol. Most infants who are diagnosed with ROP show significant improvement while severe cases may need laser treatment. Advanced stages that often require treatment and can also lead to further complications include: amblyopia (lazy eyes), strabismus (cross-eye), misalignment, cataracts (clouding of the eye’s natural lens), and myopia (nearsightedness).
Treatment Options
There are currently no eye treatments which exist that are specifically designed to prevent retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). To date, the most effective treatment is laser therapy or cryotherapy. However, these treatments are given at late stages of the disease. According to Zietchick Research Institute, premature infants are deprived of nutrients from the placenta, which ultimately contributes to infant eye diseases. Dr. Tammy Z. Movsas and her team are examining the effect of nutrients synthesized by the placenta on eye development. Their goal is to formulate the first treatment for premature newborns to replace the lost placental nutrients that aid in the stimulation of eye maturation.
As a result, premature infants will be less likely to be diagnosed with Retinopathy of Prematurity as they will be receiving the missing nutrients for development. For more information on their scientific endeavours visit their website at www.zietchick.com.
