Risk for a severe form of retinopathy of prematurity, which can cause blindness in extremely premature babies, was halved when the newborns were given a new supplement combining various fatty acids. This was shown in a Swedish study led from the University of Gothenburg.
The study, now published in JAMA Pediatrics, is described as groundbreaking in its field. It documents a clear fall in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among extremely premature (EP) infants (born before 28 weeks’ gestation), whose retinal blood vessels are not fully developed. The condition can cause visual impairment and, at worst, blindness after retinal detachment.
The study included 206 EP babies in the neonatal wards at the university hospitals in Gothenburg, Lund, and Stockholm over a period exceeding three years, 2016-19.
Roughly half of these newborns were given prophylactic nutritional supplements, orally,…
