Pregnant mother with minus eyes often afraid to give birth normally. This is because there is an assumption that People with minus eyes can experience blindness if they give birth normally, so they prefer to give birth by caesarean section.
Minus eye or myopia is a visual disturbance when the sufferer is difficult to see distant objects (nearsightedness). Blurred vision when looking at a distance occurs due to abnormalities in the eyeball, so that light from outside does not fall right where it should be, namely on the retina of the eye.
A person with minus eye, especially minus eye with glasses minus 6 and above, is at risk for complications. Complications of high minus eye are retinal detachment (retina tear), ruptured blood vessels, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Then, what about minus eye sufferers who will give birth normally?
Dangers of Normal Childbirth with Minus Eyes
Efforts to push during normal delivery cause minus eye sufferers and obstetricians often avoid the option of normal delivery. The action of straining on people with minus eye can increase pressure on the eyeball, which has the potential to damage the structures inside the eye.
In the eye minus or myopia, especially those with high minus, complications can occur in the form of the formation of new blood vessels in the retina that are prone to bleeding. In addition, people with minus eye are also prone to retinal damage, which is feared to worsen during normal delivery.
During normal delivery, the new blood vessels in the retina can rupture, causing bleeding in the retina. Damage to the retinal structure that has occurred previously is also feared to cause the retina to tear during childbirth. These two things are considered by obstetricians and ophthalmologists to advise pregnant women to give birth by caesarean section.
Can a Minus Eye Sufferer Have a Normal Childbirth?
There are several studies that state that normal delivery in people with myopia or minus eyes does not cause abnormalities in the retina of the eye. This also applies to people with high minus eyes (already minus 6 and above).
If you refer to the study, a person can still give birth normally even though he suffers from minus eyes. Efforts to push during normal delivery are considered safe for the eyes and do not affect the minus eye condition.
However, pregnant women with high minus eye are still recommended to have regular eye examinations. An eye examination by an ophthalmologist should be carried out at least every 3 months during pregnancy, to assess and monitor the condition of the structure of the eyeball.
To be safe and avoid complications, you should discuss with your ophthalmologist and obstetrician about the benefits and risks of normal delivery, if you suffer from minus eye or myopia during pregnancy.
written oleh:
dr. Dian Hadiany Rahim, SpM(Ophthalmologist)
