Sofía Fournier: “Myopia doesn’t mean caesarean section”

29/03/2022

• The renowned gynaecologist debunks some of the most widespread myths about pregnancy in relation to eye health.
• Changes in prescription are due to maternal age and not so much to pregnancy or childbirth.

Listen to the podcast here

‘Descansa la vista, the podcast of the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre, welcomes in its last chapter the gynaecologist Sofía Fournier, doctor at the Gynaikos clinic in Barcelona, ​​author of the best-selling book ¡Voy a ser mamá! ¿Y ahora qué? and digital promoter through her blog and her social networks. The renowned obstetrician has stood in front of the microphone with Dr. José Lamarca, an ophthalmologist at the Barraquer Centre.

The result is Pregnancy and childbirth: how they affect vision #3, a conversation where both specialists disprove some of the most widespread myths, such as the one that high myopia prevents labour: “The concept that high myopia means a caesarean section, it is incorrect, a complete urban legend”, Fournier has stated. Gynecologist and ophthalmologist agree, backed by scientific evidence, that myopia does not pose a real risk of retinal detachment during childbirth, that these patients can push without harming their eye health and that there is no need to indicate a caesarean section for this reason if there is no other previous condition that does contraindicate the vaginal route.

Another of the false statements is that the gestation process causes eye prescription to increase. As a matter of fact, myopia does not progress with pregnancy but with age, remaining stagnant after the age 25 or 27. It is true that "there may be a transitory myopia during pregnancy and the first weeks after childbirth due to the difficulty of accommodating and focusing the eyesight, often due to fatigue itself, but then the eyesight returns and there are rare cases in which the defect persists”, as Dr. Lamarca explains.

In addition, the podcast answers a large number of questions about how the process of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding affects the visual health of mothers:

• Is it convenient to avoid contact lenses during pregnancy?

• Why are floaters of concern during gestation?

• How is conjunctivitis treated in pregnant women?

• What about gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia in relation to vision?

• In which ultrasound can the eyes of the future baby be seen?

• Why is it common to see worse after giving birth?

• Is it better to have refractive surgery to reduce dependency on glasses before or after having children?

• Can I go to the ophthalmologist during the postpartum period and during lactation?

The episode is now available on the main podcast platforms: Ivoox, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts; on this same website; and on the social networks of the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre, through which users can send their questions about eye health using the hashtag #DescansaLaVista.