{
  "id": 1566593,
  "title": "Premature baby born at just 24 weeks has sight saved by Spanish doctors",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/premature-baby-born-at-just-24-weeks-has-sight-saved-by-spanish",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-17T20:59:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euro Weekly News",
    "slug": "euro-weekly-news",
    "url": "https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/08/17/premature-baby-born-at-just-24-weeks-has-sight-saved-by-spanish-doctors/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A premature baby born at just 24 weeks has been saved from potentially losing its sight thanks to advanced medical intervention in Elche, Spain. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a condition that can lead to permanent blindness in infants born extremely prematurely, as their retinal blood vessels have not fully developed. The baby's condition necessitated a highly specialized treatment to prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina, which could have resulted in retinal detachment and blindness. At the Hospital General Universitario de Elche, ophthalmologists Cristian Fernández and Manuel Baeza, along with paediatrician Consuelo Vázquez and the neonatal intensive-care team, administered an intraocular injection of an anti-VEGF biological drug to control the abnormal blood-vessel growth and preserve the baby's visual function. The successful treatment highlights the importance of early detection and intervention in preventing severe ROP in premature infants.",
  "summary": "A baby born so early that every day of survival mattered was facing another devastating battle, the possibility of losing […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Premature baby born at 24 weeks in Elche, Spain",
    "Retinopathy of prematurity treatment prevented blindness",
    "Intraocular anti-VEGF injection preserved visual function"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}