National study aiming to improve detection of cataracts in newborns opens at Jessop Wing maternity unit
28 July 2024
Parents-to-be who are having their baby at Jessop Wing Maternity Unit are being offered the opportunity to be part of a national research study aiming to improve detection of cataracts in newborn babies.
The UK-wide study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, will look to see if using a new hand-held digital imaging device is a more accurate way to detect cataracts in newborn babies than the current technique.
As early detection is vital, babies in the UK are routinely tested for cataracts using a bright torch called an ophthalmoscope soon after birth. However, the test – which is not easy to evaluate, particularly in the eyes of black and Asian babies due to pigmentation – can miss a third of cases. Earlier studies have shown that the new test may work better.
Each baby taking part in the study will have both the normal ophthalmoscopy test and imaging with the new device, known as Neocam. The two methods will be compared to see if either is more accurate.
The new device is easy for maternity staff to use. The digital images taken utilising infrared light can also be shared with other experts for a second opinion, even if they are miles away.
Consultant Midwife and Principal Investigator for the Jessop Wing study Kiya Rothman said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this important study at Jessop Wing. By having simple eye photos and the usual eye screening test, a newborn baby could help improve detection of cataracts. Congenital cataracts are rare, with only around 1 in 3,000 babies are affected, but improved cataract detection, resulting in earlier surgery, could reduce the risk of lifelong visual impairment in babies born with cataracts. The study could also lead to a change in the way newborn eye screening tests are done across the UK and the world, so it would be fantastic for families in Sheffield and beyond to be a part of this.”
The study is being led by Cambridge University Hospitals and involves 25 hospitals including Jessop Wing.
More than 3,000 families have taken part in the study, known as DIvO (Digital Imaging versus Ophthalmoscopy) so far, with the study aiming to test 140,000 newborns over the course of three years to ensure accuracy of the test.
To find out more about the study visit The DIvO Study website. For more information about childhood cataracts visit the NHS Childhood Cataracts web page.
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