Laser Treatment on Newborn's Eyelid

Our nine week old daughter has PWS that covers part of one eyelid. One doctor felt that there was little/no risk in treating the area ASAP. A second doctor was less agressive, and wanted to only treat below the brow, and wait to treat the part of the lid directly covering the eyeball until an eye shield could be used.

Any thoughts, experience on treating this area would be appreciated.

Thx,

newdad

We began treatments on our dd at age 6 months so she could be given GA and the eye shield inserted. You should not treat the area on the eyelid or around the eye without an eyeshield. It poses too much of a risk.
Emily's pws covered about 60% of her upper eyelid. She is the baby on the front page with the pws. The pws on her eyelid is not easily seen in the photos.

I would wait until you can treat with the eyeshield. Just make certain the hospital is equipped with shields small enough for an infant/newborn. They do exist.

Our physician also will not treat infants whose eyelid is treated because the eye shield is not a direct fit. It can move a little. Any movement of the baby and it coulld move out of place. That is why we opted for GA. GA is safely administered to infants around age 4 months to 6 months.

[hankbartenbach]

Hi newdad, My name is hank and I have PWS on my eye lids and I have used the shield on my eyes and I strongly suggest waiting until you can use the shields because when the laser is used with out the shield your daughters eyes are not protected my the beams of the laser. It will destroy the cornea of her eye. Put it into this prospective, it would be the samething as if you did some welding on a project with out a helmet. It would make you go blind evenually.

Good luck and hope all goes well.

Hank

[nickbar]

Our son has had 4 laser tx on his hemangioma that also covers his eye lid. They started laser on him when he was 4 months old (we had to wait only because he was on medication to reduce the growth of the Hemangioma and by 4 months old he was almost off the meds and the h. was flat enough to do laser). The doctor put the sheild (he called it a protective contact on the eye). I think the younger they are the easier it is on them. Just my opinion....but the protecting the eye should not be an issue at any age...they have contacts for all sizes.

Also, it might be important that I let you know that our son is always sedated with a mask (anesthsia) to keep him from moving.

Corinne

P.S. Cindi...is that you? Long time no talk to (mamalamb)

My 6 yo son has a PWS which covers the L upper and lower eyelid, cheek and nose. He has had a total of 23 lasers which have dramatically lightened the color of the PWS - it was dark purple when he was born. His first laser was when he was 6weeks old. He has always been under anesthesia and has always had his eye protected. Good luck to you - find a Doctor that you really trust - that helped us tremendously.