Resources For Women Who Recently Delivered Premature Babies
Information Provided By Our Experienced Attorney
If your baby was born very prematurely, it is essential that you understand the risks of blindness associated with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Initial screening, or the first screening for ROP, is extremely important. This is because if a child passes a certain age, the chance that the child may have already suffered harm to his or her vision from the disease becomes likely. Based upon further serial examinations, determined by the gestational age of the baby and the extent of disease, a determination must be made to either continue to observe or treat. There is a time window that is the “sweet spot” for treatment. It is well known and accepted that some babies who have ROP will have the disease regress and cure itself. However, the choice is made to treat all babies at that “sweet spot,” because nobody yet knows in which child the affliction will progress or regress. So, as between blindness and vision, the decision to treat early becomes obvious.
Competent medical professionals can tell when your child faces these serious risks. They f
can perform surgery to prevent ROP blindness. Lawyers who have experience handling ROP cases can determine, together with their experts, which cases have merit in the eyes of the law.
Find Answers to Questions About ROP Blindness
Visit the following links for more information about the risks associated with premature births, including those related to retinopathy of prematurity. The Shapiro Law Group is not associated with any of these organizations; these links are for informational purposes only:
- Zero to Three
- March of Dimes
- American Pregnancy Association
- Hand to Hold
- Centers for Disease Control
- Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- The Cord Blood Center
- PostpartumDepression.org
ROP Blindness Is Preventable
Each year, hundreds of American families deal with the heartbreak associated with newborn blindness caused by ROP. Tragically, reasonable medical care could have prevented nearly all of these permanent injuries.
If your baby is born prior to the 30-week mark or weighs less than three pounds at birth, ask your doctor about screening for ROP. If your doctor intervenes during the right stage of ROP, he or she can prevent the onset of your child’s potential blindness or vision loss.
Treatment is available to halt the progression of ROP before serious damage occurs. Laser therapy is known to be an effective surgery, despite unsubstantiated claims from some doctors that it is risky and unnecessary. While most cases of ROP reverse themselves over time, qualified medical professionals – including neonatal ophthalmologists – can tell when the disease shows signs of causing permanent harm.
Looking for a Retinopathy of Prematurity Attorney?
Our firm has gained significant recoveries for children blinded by medical malpractice. With our thorough evidence gathering process, we can determine when doctors operated without a reasonable standard of care. Schedule a free case review with us today. We can then help you figure out the next stage of your family’s life.