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This week on Healthwatch, we've been talking about the eyes. Previously, we've looked at conditions that affect adults and the elderly, but the very youngest patients also may face blindness. Premature infants are at risk for a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. This condition affects the retina, the part of the eye that detects light. Babies with this condition have poor vision or go blind.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have identified a protein that plays a major role in this condition. The protein responds to oxygen levels and may become overactive when infants who have been given extra oxygen are moved to a more normal environment and their bodies think they aren't getting enough oxygen. Dr. Yu-Guang He, a UT Southwestern ophthalmologist, says this research could lead to ways of preventing retinopathy in preemies and saving their sight.
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April 2005
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