Q&A: Earlier recognition of cerebral visual impairment in the NICU could help more children thrive
Mohamed El-Dib, MD, of the Division of Newborn Medicine at Mass General Brigham for Children is the corresponding author of a new study that seeks to identify and address gaps in the recognition of cerebral visual impairment (CVI) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is a brain-based visual disorder that affects how visual information is processed in infants, often due to injury or abnormalities in the brain's visual pathways. Despite being one of the leading causes of pediatric visual impairment in high-income countries, CVI is difficult to identify in infancy, with diagnosis often delayed until later childhood.
The study led by Mohamed El-Dib, MD, and Lacey Smith from the Division of Newborn Medicine at Mass General Brigham for Children and Perkins School for the Blind, respectively, aims to improve early identification and treatment of CVI during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. The researchers emphasize the importance of recognizing risk factors such as premature birth, white matter brain injury, intraventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, neonatal seizures, stroke, central nervous system infections, and certain genetic or metabolic disorders during the NICU stay, as these can offer an opportunity to identify children who may later develop CVI.
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