Albania has introduced, for the first time, eye injections designed to prevent blindness in premature babies. Ophthalmologists say that not every premature infant requires the treatment, and that close cooperation between maternity hospitals and the Ophthalmology Department at the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa” (QSUT) is essential for accurately identifying newborns who develop eye disease and can benefit from the therapy.
“Intravitreal injections are anti-neovascularization treatments used for premature infants, but not all of them require this therapy. Babies born before 32 weeks of gestation, weighing less than 1,500 grams, those who have undergone prolonged oxygen therapy, suffered severe anemia, or received blood transfusions are the ones at higher risk. The treatment is aimed at preventing blindness. The critical period is between the fifth and sixth week after birth. Even a single injection can prevent blindness, while only rare cases may require a second injection,” said Alketa Tandili, an ophthalmologist at QSUT.
Each year, around 12 premature babies in Albania are diagnosed with vision problems. Doctors say that if the condition is detected in the first weeks of life, the recovery rate is 100 percent, effectively preventing blindness.
Similar intravitreal injections have been used across Europe and the United States since 2019.
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