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Attorney Richard Shapiro's Site: Retinopathy of Prematurity

Richard Shapiro is a nationally renowned lawyer who has devoted his life’s work to helping the victims of medical mistakes.  His compassion for those who have been injured, especially children, is nationally known. He obtained justice for a child in excess of $10 million dollars for a blind, quadriplegic girl named Jessica R.

Now, Richard has launched a site that addresses Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and it implications. ROP is a potentially blinding eye disorder that primarily affects premature infants weighing  approximately three pounds or less, born before 31 weeks of gestation (A full-term pregnancy has a gestation of 38–42 weeks). The smaller a baby is at birth, the more likely that baby will develop ROP. This condition is one of the most common causes of visual loss in childhood and can lead to lifelong vision impairment and blindness.

Go here to check out the site. www.babyblindness.com

From the site:

What causes ROP?

ROP occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow and spread throughout the retina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye. These abnormal blood vessels are fragile and can leak, scarring the retina and pulling it out of position. This causes a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment is the main cause of visual impairment and blindness in ROP.
 Medical experts believe that the periphery of the retina sends out signals to other areas of the retina for nourishment. As a result, new abnormal vessels begin to grow. These new blood vessels are fragile, weak, and can bleed, leading to retinal scarring. When these scars shrink, they pull on the retina, causing it to detach from the back of the eye.

Most premature infants are either born/or treated at children’s hospitals or other pediatric hospital units within general hospitals....

For more go to to the site.

Full post as published by Trial Lawyer Resource Center on November 08, 2007 (boomark / email).