The pain of birthing babies with blindness is a burden on parents, particularly mothers. Wanting to know the mistakes made and seeking treatment options are the journeys they embark on. JANET OGUNDEPO writes on the stigma, challenges and hopes these mothers face in seeking care for their children

After 14 years of being childless, a Benue-born Fashion designer, identified only as Mary, finally held her bundle of joy.

The years before her daughter’s birth were filled with questions left unanswered, the secret tears that dribbled unbidden down her face as she lay on the bed with her husband at night.

Thankful for a supportive husband, Mary weathered the storms of her childlessness and welcomed the joy of her new baby with gusto.

However, three months after her daughter, whom she named God’s Time, was born, the 32-year-old noticed an unusual colour in her eyes.

“I noticed that her eyeballs were getting bigger but I reassured myself that one of her aunties also has big eyeballs,” Mary told PUNCH Healthwise.

She would later be told by an ophthalmologist that her child’s condition was congenital glaucoma.

“Aside from that, I notice that she avoids looking at the light in the room and bends her head inside the wrapper whenever I put her on my back and we go out. Also, I noticed that the black part of her eyes was looking gray, so I told my husband and pastor about my observation and we were advised to go to Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta,” she added.

From there, she was referred to another tertiary hospital, this time one of the renowned teaching hospitals in Lagos.

There, God’s Time was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma and was scheduled for surgery to reduce the pressure on her eyes. The procedure would also ensure that God’s Time had a clearer vision.

Surprisingly, despite Mary’s visit to the hospital, she told PUNCH Healthwise that she was still advised by relatives to apply herbal treatments to her baby’s eyes.

“Some would say I should squeeze a particular leaf and drop the extract into her eyes. I refused. In fact, my husband would never agree that I do such,” God’s Time mother added.

Although thankful that the condition was quickly detected and hopes for perfect vision for her baby, Mary still wonders how the child got the condition.

“No one in mine or her father’s family has glaucoma, so I wonder how it came to be,” she stated.

God’s Time, who would soon celebrate her one-year birthday in grand style, continues to hit her baby milestones and grows.

The names of the parents and children have been changed to protect their identity.

Why a child can be born blind

Congenital glaucoma, cataract, anophthalmos (absence of an eyeball or ocular tissue) and congenital corneal opacity (clouding of the cornea) are conditions present at birth or identified shortly after.

These eye conditions could be hereditary, caused by a genetic disorder, infections and exposure to harmful substances during pregnancy, developmental issues during foetal development and retinopathy of prematurity.

Although there is no data in the country to determine the level of the burden of these conditions in Nigeria, congenital glaucoma and cataract seem to be more of the conditions.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Paediatric Ophthalmologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Dr Kareem Musa, stated that congenital glaucoma, which is commonly noticed at birth or shortly after birth, is commonly sporadic in occurrence but could be familial/hereditary or due to genetic disorders.

He added that it could also occur as part of maldevelopment of the eye or systemic disorders.

Musa explained that the bulging eyeballs seen in affected children resulted from increased pressure in the eyes, which occurred when the fluid produced inside the eye (aqueous humour) is unable to drain properly through the channels in front of the eyes, leading to an accumulation and continuous build-up of the fluid and increased pressure and overtime made the eye pressure very high and, leading to eye damage.

The ophthalmologist stated that the increased pressure affects the optic nerve, noting that since the nerve does not usually regenerate, it leads to irreversible blindness.

Cataract discovered at three months

When 18-month-old Chidera, was three months, his mother, Mrs Effiong, noticed for the first time, a cloudy film covering his eyes.

She discovered that the black part of his eyes, the pupils, were covered with a milky film.

The 35-year-old said she had seen adults with such a condition but never believed a newborn could have such.

In her quest for answers, Effiong visited a private hospital and was referred to a tertiary hospital for specialist care.

“Those around me told me it was a spiritual attack and it was asked to go to church, I was also asked to do the traditional part. I went to the village and did some things but I am not going to talk about it,” she told our correspondent.

After returning from the village, Effiong returned to the hospital for continuous care of her child.

“He was booked for surgery in July last year, but we couldn’t come because I had a little attack and had to stay away,” the Point of Sales Operator and Hairstylist said.

After her recovery, another surgery session was booked in December, sadly, she lost her father and had to return to the village for the burial rites.

The mother of one stated that she refused to give up on orthodox treatment and had already paid for the surgery to remove the cataract from her son’s eyes.

Sadly, Effiong who lives and works on the Island in Lagos, had to close her shop and move to the mainland to stay closer to the hospital so she wouldn’t miss her son’s appointment.

Unarguably, the 35-year-old has put a pause on running her business for her child’s care.

Effiong strongly believes that after the surgery, Chidera will regain his sight, resume school and have a good life.

Lost sight at nine

Though the smiles filled the lips of a 34-year-old mother of two, Mrs Lawal, the pain in her voice as she expressed her worries over what could have caused her son’s congenital glaucoma rang through.

Vision in her nine year old, Tunde, has been completely affected and reduced to a bare perception of objects and people.

A late discovery and presentation is responsible for Tunde’s worsened eyesight.

But the fault was neither his nor his parents as Lawal stated that he was given birth to in a private hospital and they were unaware of an anomaly with his eyes.

Going down memory lane, she said, “It was discovered when he was three years old. That day, his grandmother carried him on her back to the market, and he began to cry when the sun hit his face. His grandmother thought he was tired of being backed and put him down. When he was on his feet, the seller who was selling something to her saw how he was avoiding the sun and asked the grandma what was wrong.

“She then told her to take the child to a General Hospital in Lagos and she wrote down the phone number of someone to call. It was at the doctor’s visit that we were told he had congenital glaucoma.”

After the diagnosis was made, Tunde underwent surgery to relieve the pressure in his right eye.

Sadly, by that time, vision had worsened in the left eye, therefore, no surgery was done.

The nine-year-old was placed on eye drops, which his mother dutifully applied every morning and night, regardless of the cost.

To ensure he lived an independent life and continued schooling, Tunde has now been sent to one of the Schools of the Blind, where he continues to thrive.

Although sad about her son’s situation, Lawal urged parents to be observant about their children’s eyes and visual behaviour, adding that they should visit a registered hospital for any concerns they had.


https://punchng.com/we-are-worried-if-they-will-ever-see-mums-of-babies-born-blind/