Researchers in the United Kingdom asked an important question: “How does pregnancy and childbirth affect vision in women with retinitis pigmentosa (RP)?” This matters because pregnancy causes many changes in the body, which can also affect how diseases like Usher syndrome progress.
The study focused on women with USH2A who had children. Scientists looked at their medical records to compare vision and retinal health before and after pregnancy. They found that having children was linked to reduced visual acuity but not retinal thinning over time.
What this means for the Usher syndrome community: Past studies have shown that men and women can be affected differently by certain eye diseases. This is the first study showing that Usher syndrome, specifically USH2A, may affect women differently because of pregnancy. These findings can help doctors give better guidance to women with USH2A who are planning to have children.
