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Newborn Eye Disorders and Medical Malpractice: Who’s Affected?
Do you have a baby who went blind after being diagnosed with Retinopathy of Prematurity?
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disorder that affects premature babies born before 31 weeks of gestation and weighing 2 3/4 pounds or less. In severe cases, retinopathy of prematurity can lead to blindness.
However, blindness caused by retinopathy of prematurity may be the result of medical malpractice. When properly diagnosed and treated in the early stages of the disease, blindness may be prevented.
If you have a child who is blind from retinopathy of prematurity, you may qualify to file a medical malpractice lawsuit or join an ROP class action lawsuit by filling out the form on this page. It’s absolutely free to participate, so act now!
Overview: What is Retinopathy of Prematurity?
Retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, is an eye disorder that can lead to blindness that affects premature infants who are born before 31 weeks of the gestational period. The younger and smaller the baby, the higher the chances that he or she will develop retinopathy of prematurity.
ROP typically affects both eyes. Babies’ eyes develop the most over the last 12 weeks of the pregnancy. By the time a baby is born, if the pregnancy is full-term, most of the retinal blood vessel development is done, with the final growth period occurring up to a month after the baby’s birth.
Premature babies with ROP develop abnormal blood vessels that grow in and around the retina. The retina makes up the tissue in the back of the eye. As the light receptor of the eye, the retina plays an important role in vision. It is also the part of the eye that communicates with the brain.
The abnormal blood vessels that develop in the case of ROP are fragile and prone to leaking. This may result in scars left on the retina and moving the retina from its position, which can ultimately lead to retinal detachment. It is this retinal detachment that causes blindness and visual impairment in babies with retinopathy of prematurity.
How is Retinopathy of Prematurity Treated and Prevented?
When retinopathy of prematurity was first diagnosed in 1942, doctors were unsure how to treat the condition until a study was published in 1988 that found that retinal detachment caused by ROP could be prevented about half of the time with cryotherapy treatment, if done in time.
Researchers have since found other treatments to be effective including:
- Oxygen treatment
- Laser therapy to prevent the spreading of abnormal blood vessels
- Scleral Buckle, which is a silicone band that is placed around the eye for the purpose of repairing retinal detachment
- Vitrectomy, a surgery performed by removing the vitreous gel from the eye to treat retinal detachment
- Retina repair surgery
The discovery of an effective treatment was a game changer, but it also placed greater responsibility on doctors making sure that they were properly screening and diagnosing their small patients.
Retinopathy of Prematurity Stages
About 14,000 to 16,000 babies are born with retinopathy of prematurity every year, but ROP can vary significantly in its severity. The severity of ROP is broken up into five different stages:
- Stage 1: In Stage 1 the abnormal blood vessel growth is mild, and most babies in this stage will recover on their own without treatment.
- Stage 2: Children in this stage have moderate abnormal blood vessel growth, and will also typically recover without treatment.
- Stage 3: Babies in Stage 3 have severe abnormal blood vessel growth. In some cases, babies with Stage 3 ROP may recover on their own, but treatment is typically advised at this stage if the infant also has what is called “Plus Disease,” which is enlarged and twisted blood vessels, causing the disease to worsen. If treatment is done at this stage, retinal detachment is typically prevented.
- Stage 4: At Stage 4, the infant has a partially detached retina.
- Stage 5: In this stage, the retina is completely detached.
Of the 14,000 babies diagnosed with ROP every year, 90 percent are in stage 1 or 2. In some cases, the severity can worsen and this can happen quite rapidly. About 1,100-1,500 babies have a form of ROP that is severe enough that treatment is required. In 400-600 cases, ROP causes blindness.
Medical Malpractice & Retinopathy of Prematurity
The misdiagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity can have a lasting and devastating effect. In some cases, blindness caused by ROP may be the result of medical malpractice.
Retinopathy of prematurity medical malpractice has been alleged in cases when babies end up in ROP Stage 5 after doctors failed to properly communicate with parents the importance of follow-up care once the infant is sent home, when parents weren’t given a proper referral to a specialist for the purpose of follow-up care, and for failing to diagnose the correct ROP stage, which prevents proper treatment.
If you have a child who developed blindness after being diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity, you may qualify to file a medical malpractice lawsuit or class action lawsuit. Learn more by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.
Get Help – It’s Free
Join a Free Retinopathy of Prematurity Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
If you qualify, an attorney will contact you to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.
Please Note: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.
E-mail any problems with this form to:
Questions@TopClassActions.com.
In general, medical malpractice lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions. After you fill out the form, the attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you.
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