Portable Retina Camera.

Thanks to Foundation donors, babies throughout WA will have access to the same sight-saving service as those receiving care and treatment at Perth Children’s Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital.

A specially designed camera, or RetCam, allows clinicians to take clear and detailed photographs of the retina and optic nerves inside the eyes of these tiny babies. Experienced eye specialists review the photos and determine if any treatment is necessary.

Over 300 babies are currently screened each year, many needing 5 to 10 screening sessions over the course of their stay in a hospital nursery.

The process of transporting a medically unstable premature baby who typically still depends on oxygen or airway support is difficult and risky, requiring a specialist transport team including neonatal intensive care nurses, and various life-support devices.

Many families miss their babies’ vital screening appointments, putting them at a higher risk of blindness.

The impact of portable RetCam screening on ‘at-risk’ premature babies will be long-lasting. Throughout WA, infants have access to equipment that gives them the very best chance of keeping their sight, through early detection and intervention from leading specialists, and the immediacy of treatment that the portable RetCam provides.

“Screening is extremely important. If we pick up problems, we can treat it before it gets out of control and the child loses vision. When a child is blind, there is no treatment available to give the child back their sight. If the screening picks up that the child needs treatment, most of them can be treated with LASER or an injection of special medicine into the inside of the eye, saving their sight.” – Professor Geoffrey Lam, Ophthalmology Consultant, PCH.