Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2019 Jun;67(6):928-931.
doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_573_18.

Habilitation services for children blind from retinopathy of prematurity: Health care professionals' perspective in Maharashtra

Sucheta Kulkarni  1 , Clare Gilbert  2 , Nilesh Kakade  1 , Kuldeep Dole  1 , Col M Deshpande  1 , Rajvardhan Azad  3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Habilitation services for children blind from retinopathy of prematurity: Health care professionals' perspective in Maharashtra

Sucheta Kulkarni et al. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the knowledge of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and habilitation services for children with visual loss from ROP, among health care professionals (HCPs) involved in care of preterm children and to explore their attitudes and practices in relation to referral for habilitation.

Methods: A modified knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire were administered to ophthalmologists and paediatricians associated with ROP care. Data were collected about their knowledge, beliefs and practices of ROP and referral to rehabilitation facilities. Data were analysed to establish level of knowledge, type of attitude and practices and its association with speciality.

Results: Response rate was 78% (25/32). Most (14/25, 56%) were ophthalmologists. All (100%) participants knew that ROP can cause blindness. Knowledge about Indian ROP screening criteria was poor among a third (8/25, 32%), more so in paediatricians (5/11, 45.5%). Most (21/25, 84%) did not have knowledge of what a habilitation service entails and where such facilities are located. More than two-thirds (18/25, 72%) believed that special education should be preferred over inclusive education. Overall, 10/25 (40%) of the HCPs had never referred a child for rehabilitation. More than a half (13/25, 52%) were not confident of counselling parents of blind children. All agreed that rehabilitation services are not part of but should be included in medical curriculum.

Conclusion: Indian guidelines for ROP screening are not universally known among HCPs. Educating medical undergraduates, providing counselling training to professionals and integration of rehabilitation into the health system will ensure continuity of care for children with visual loss and their families.

Keywords: Blindness; early intervention; rehabilitation; retinopathy of prematurity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Blencowe H, Lawn JE, Vazquez T, Fielder A, Gilbert C. Preterm-associated visual impairment and estimates of retinopathy of prematurity at regional and global levels for 2010. Pediatr Res. 2013;74(Suppl 1):35–49. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blencowe H, Moxon S, Gilbert C. Update on blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity globally India. Indian Pediatr. 2016;53(Suppl 2):89–92. - PubMed
    1. Rahi J, Gilbert C, Foster A, Minassian D. Measuring the burden of childhood blindness. Br J Ophthalmol. 1999;83:387–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gogate P, Muhit M. Blindness and cataract in children in developing countries. Community Eye Health. 2009;22:4–5. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vinekar A, Mangalesh S, Jayadev C, Gilbert C, Dogra M, Shetty B. Impact of expansion of telemedicine screening for retinopathy of prematurity in India. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2017;65:390–5. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms