Can a woman with high myopia give birth naturally?

The pain of normal childbirth is medically classified into the highest level of twelve pain standards. Many women find it difficult to endure this level of pain. Therefore, it is necessary to do a good prenatal check-up, follow the doctor's advice, and be mentally prepared. Childbirth requires pregnant women to exert the greatest strength, and other parts of the body will also be affected. So, can highly myopic women choose to give birth naturally?

If the physical conditions of pregnant women with high myopia allow, they can give birth naturally, but they must make preparations before delivery, listen to the doctor's instructions during delivery, and adopt the correct delivery posture.

Fundus examination is required before delivery and delivery is subject to the doctor's instructions

"Myopia of 600 degrees or above is considered high myopia, and high myopia itself is a trigger for retinal tears and detachment. It is rare for people with high myopia to suffer retinal detachment due to natural childbirth." Every Friday morning, Zeng Qiongying, deputy chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Nanhai Hospital, sees patients in the Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Nanhai Hospital. She said that for every 300 degrees of myopia increase, the eyeball will stretch by 1 mm, and the retina will be pulled by the eyeball and become thinner than normal.

If a highly myopic mother uses improper force during delivery, there is a chance of retinal detachment, but obstetricians and gynecologists will teach mothers how to use force correctly. Generally speaking, as long as the mother's head does not tilt back too much during delivery, the intraocular pressure will not be too high and will not have much impact on the retina. Medically, there is no saying that pregnant women with severe myopia cannot give birth naturally.

Zeng Qiongying reminded that pregnant women with high myopia need to undergo regular fundus examinations before delivery, and deal with risks early to rule out the possibility of retinal detachment. It is understood that in the early stages of retinal detachment, there will be floating objects, flashing lights and a curtain-like black shadow blocking the view of the eyes, which will gradually grow larger. When detached to the macula, vision will be significantly reduced. If a pregnant woman experiences any of the above symptoms, it may be an early symptom of retinal detachment and she should seek medical attention from an ophthalmologist promptly. Avoid rubbing the eyes, as rubbing the eyes can worsen retinal detachment.

It is understood that if early retinal tears and detachment can be treated with laser surgery in a timely manner, the post-operative effect is good and will not affect vision. If the retina detaches to the macula, it will cause irreversible damage to visual function. The postoperative effect will be less than ideal and sequelae such as blurred vision are likely to occur.

So, since retinal surgery requires medication, will it affect the quality of breast milk? The answer is not much. Zeng Qiongying said that retinal surgery generally involves the use of eye medications, and most of these medications are eye drops, not oral, and generally have little effect on the quality of breast milk.

Avoid strenuous exercise and pay attention to nutritional supplements

Many people know that prevention is better than cure. So for pregnant women with high myopia, what measures should be taken before delivery to protect the retina? Zeng Qiongying suggested that pregnant women should try to avoid lifting heavy objects and strenuous exercise, avoid external forces hitting the eyeballs, and reduce actions such as handstands, roller coasters, and blowing hard to avoid increased intraocular pressure; watch less electronic products, ensure adequate eye rest and exercise, massage the lacrimal sac more to relax the eyes, increase the number of blinks to stimulate eye movement, look at more green plants, etc.

At the same time, mothers also need to pay attention to nutritional supplements. The retina is composed of nerve cells, so it is necessary to focus on supplementing B vitamins. Foods such as eggs and fish have high content of B vitamins and can be consumed in moderation.