Southampton recruits 1,000 babies for newborn eye screening study

Researchers are trialling a new method to help prevent the most common cause of avoidable childhood blindness.

More than 1,000 families have joined the national study at University Hospital Southampton (UHS). It is testing how well a new imaging device can diagnose cataracts in newborn babies.

If cataracts are present at birth, surgery is needed to remove them as soon as possible. This reduces the risk of long-term vision problems.

Researchers at Cambridge University Hospitals and University College London are leading the large-scale study. It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Newborn eye screening

About one in 3,000 babies are born with cataracts. These are cloudy areas that form in the lens of the eye. They cause blurred and reduced vision, and in babies may lead to blindness if untreated.

Cataracts at birth can also be a sign of rare underlying diseases that benefit from early detection.

All babies born in the UK are screened for cataracts twice. This happens at their newborn physical examination soon after birth, and again when they're between six and eight weeks old.

The current screening technique, which involves using a bright torch called an ophthalmoscope, can miss up to a third of cases. It is less effective at spotting cataracts in black and Asian babies because their eyes tend to have more pigmentation.

Comparing two techniques

Each baby taking part in the DIvO study will have both the standard screening test and digital eye imaging with the new device.

Dr Louise Allen, an ophthalmologist at Cambridge University Hospitals, developed the Neocam device. It takes a picture of babies’ eyes using infrared light. The tool has shown promising accuracy in previous small-scale studies.

If results from this larger study show an improvement in detection rates, it could change how newborn eye screening tests are done in the future.

Image credit: 42T Ltd

UK-wide research

The study is running at 25 sites across the UK. Researchers aim to have enrolled 40,000 babies by August of this year.

At least ten babies have already had eye abnormalities detected by the Neocam device that were not picked up by the current screening technique.

In Southampton, the DIvO study is being delivered by a team of trained research nurses and midwives. They are based in the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (CRF).

Professor Mark Johnson is leading Southampton’s involvement in the national study.

Prof Johnson is Professor of Child Health at the University of Southampton and an honorary consultant neonatologist at Southampton Children’s Hospital.

“It is fantastic that 1,000 local families have chosen to take part in this important study,” Prof Johnson said.

“Cataracts in babies need to be detected early to ensure they don’t cause long-term vision problems. They can also be a sign of rare diseases that it is important for parents and doctors to know about early. Finding out which screening method works best is key to making this important process as accurate as possible.”

Dr Allen, DIvO Chief Investigator, added: “Many congratulations to the Southampton team who have been so successful in recruiting new parents to the study.

“Their input has been crucial in helping us find out if we can improve the accuracy of eye screening with this new technology - with potentially global impact for preventing child blindness.”