*Shared as received.*
*BE CAREFUL WHEN TAKING PHOTOS OF NEWBORNS!!*
This morning, I was called to the home of one Alhaji to examine a baby girl who was born three weeks ago.
When I arrived at the house:
They complained to me that the baby girl seems to have trouble seeing. Since the day of her naming ceremony up to the time I'm sharing this message, her parents have noticed that she doesn't respond to light or to hand movements near her eyes or face.
Because of this, I suggested they consult a pediatrician at Nassarawa Hospital. I called a pediatrician and explained the situation, but he said this case should rather be seen by an eye specialist.
The surprising part that made me share this with you is what the eye specialist said when I called him. He asked, "Did they have a naming ceremony at home?" I said, "Yes, they did, and it was well attended."
Then he said that it's now being observed that many babies who had home naming ceremonies, where the husband’s and wife’s relatives took pictures of the newborns with their phones, end up with visual problems. The flash from phone cameras, especially during the early days or first one or two months of life, can damage the retina—the part of the eye that sends visual information to the brain.
This happens because relatives often insist that the baby open their eyes for a photo, and at that moment, the flash from the phone’s camera can harm the baby's retina.
Taking photos of a baby during the naming ceremony can potentially cause permanent blindness.
Please, let’s be careful. And let’s educate parents and relatives about the dangers of insisting that a newborn open their eyes for photos.
Please share this message
*Shared as received.*
*BE CAREFUL WHEN TAKING PHOTOS OF NEWBORNS!!*
This morning, I was called to the home of one Alhaji to examine a baby girl who was born three weeks ago.
When I arrived at the house:
They complained to me that the baby girl seems to have trouble seeing. Since the day of her naming ceremony up to the time I'm sharing this message, her parents have noticed that she doesn't respond to light or to hand movements near her eyes or face.
Because of this, I suggested they consult a pediatrician at Nassarawa Hospital. I called a pediatrician and explained the situation, but he said this case should rather be seen by an eye specialist.
The surprising part that made me share this with you is what the eye specialist said when I called him. He asked, "Did they have a naming ceremony at home?" I said, "Yes, they did, and it was well attended."
Then he said that it's now being observed that many babies who had home naming ceremonies, where the husband’s and wife’s relatives took pictures of the newborns with their phones, end up with visual problems. The flash from phone cameras, especially during the early days or first one or two months of life, can damage the retina—the part of the eye that sends visual information to the brain.
This happens because relatives often insist that the baby open their eyes for a photo, and at that moment, the flash from the phone’s camera can harm the baby's retina.
Taking photos of a baby during the naming ceremony can potentially cause permanent blindness.
Please, let’s be careful. And let’s educate parents and relatives about the dangers of insisting that a newborn open their eyes for photos.
Please share this message
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