Scientists research prevention of blindness in children

Sherwin Isenberg, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, reported recently that half a million children go blind each year.  He found that the reasons for blindness are different in developed countries vs. undeveloped countries.  He and his team are investigating the problems in both groups separately.

In his first study, Dr. Isenberg studied the effectiveness of povidone iodine (tradename Betadine), an inexpensive and widely available antiseptic for eye infections.  His results showed that povidone iodine is equally as effective against bacterial eye infections (conjunctivitis) as Neosporin.  This is welcome news for countries where expensive medications are not always readily available. 

He found the primary problems contributing to blindness in developed countries are related to premature births and injuries where the brain was deprived of oxygen.  He is currently developing a monitor that can measure the level of oxygen and other gases in the bloodstream of infants.  This device should begin the initial phases of testing in a few months.