ABSTRACT
Ocular and ophthalmic problems in the healthy pregnant woman are relatively uncommon, and thus if there is symptomatic change, an ophthalmologist should be consulted. Ophthalmology issues in the maternal eye in pregnancy occur as a result of: physiological changes primarily affecting the eye and periorbital tissues; and systemic conditions that may arise de novo in pregnancy or pre-existing systemic conditions that are exacerbated by the pregnant state. The cornea is the commonest tissue which may alter at any stage of pregnancy, and fluctuations in refraction may occur as a result. Diabetic control may vary at any stage in pregnancy, and this makes the eye susceptible to an increased risk of diabetic retinopathy, especially if there is poor control. The ophthalmologist does have a role to play when there is the development of pre-eclampsia if any eye symptoms and signs develop.
