Published in the January 2013 edition of Transplantation is a study on the potential effects of immunotherapy treatments on ophthalmic system development. Patients in the study were born to women who had received a kidney or liver transplant in the past. All women were taking immune suppressing medications to prevent organ rejection.
Researchers evaluated 37 children born between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012. Drug regimes differed and included one, two and three drug treatments. Neonatal states at one-minute were 89% and 97% in the liver transplant and kidney transplant groups, respectively. By the five-minute mark, all neonates reached the 97% status.
Conclusion: Immunosuppressant drugs did not affect ophthalmic outcomes in neonates born to mothers with a history of liver transplant or kidney transplant when compared to the control group. Despite nearly 48% of all neonates being born premature only two cases of retinopathy of prematurity were diagnosed.
Source: Kociszewska-Najman B, Pietrzak B, Moneta-Wielgos J, Samaha R, Wielgos M. Study of the Ophthalmic System of Babies Delivered to Transplant Recipients. Transplantation. 2013 Jan 23.