Chennai: Among the 35 lakh premature births, at least 30 to 45 per cent children have chances of getting retinopathy of prematurity.
This fact was discussed during the two-day Pediatric Retina Summit 2019 organised by Sankara Nethralaya during the weekend in Chennai.
The theme for the summit is identification and treating vision problems that affect children early in their life and restoring their eyesight.
A press release from the hospital stated that from the affected population, at least 10 to 12 per cent would require surgery.
“If identified and operated upon within 30 days of birth, pediatric retinopathy can be prevented. Across the country, there are more than 700 centres to take care of newborns. However, specialists to treat this pediatric condition are unavailable,” said the release.
It further stated that chances to identify vision problems in children was low, as against in the case of elders. It is the responsibility of parents, teachers and caretakers to detect the problem.
It pointed out to the burden of retinoblastoma and noted that for every 15,000 children, one child had cancer. However, technological advancements have led to a situation where the life and vision of the children can be saved but it has to be detected at an early stage.