PAEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY
What is Paediatric Ophthalmology?
Paediatric Ophthalmology is a branch of
Ophthalmology that deals with the treatment of eye diseases in
children aged <16 years.
Why a separate Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinic?
Because the type of eye diseases that affect children are different from
those affecting adults and treatment methods required in children are also
quite different. Moreover, the eye doctors for children are distinctive and
trained differently.
When should a child go for an Eye Check up?
A child should go for an eye checkup if following symptoms are there:
Crossed eyes.Keeps object close to his eyes.Not seeing the chalkboard
at the school.Things looking blurry or funny.Feel itching,burn or
scratchy.Getting things hit in the eye.One or both the
parents have glasses.
It is recommended to have an eye check up even in a seemingly 'normal child'
3 years and between the age of 7 and 16 years.
What are the Common Eye Diseases in children?
Although any eye disease that affect an adult can affect a child's eye; most
common diseases are -
Refractive errors
Lazy eye disease
Eye injuries
Squiniting of eyes
Watering from the eyes
Eye allergies
What is Lazy Eye Disease?
This is a common eye disease affecting nearly 5-10% of the children. In
this disease a child cannot see well from one or both the eyes due to
uncorrected refractive error or squint. Appropriate treatment at correct time
can restore good vision.
Unfortunately, Lazy Eye Disease goes undetected as, children do not complain
and parents do not realize it.
What do I do if the child's eyes go red?
Do not just put any eye drop especially the ones with Steroids. Washing the
eye with plenty of water will wash of any foreign body or allergic material.
Consult a Paediatric Ophthalmology soon if the redness persists or if the eye
is sore.
What are the treatment options for children who have refractive
errors?
Spectacle (glass) is most effective and safest treatment option in
children. Contact Lenses can be prescribed
in children after age of 12-13 years when they can handle them well and laser
correction (LASIK) can be done after age of
18 years once the power in the eyes become constant.
Special glasses and medicines like Pirenzipine are found to be effective in
retarding the progression of myopia (near sightedness). There are also methods
to reduce the hypermetropia (far sightedness) by assisting the process called
emmetropization.
Parents role
Preparing your child for an eye examYour
child may be afraid of an eye exam and may not cooperate. You can help by
telling your child what to expect.
There won't be any shots.
The doctors may put drops in your eyes. The drops may sting
for a few seconds and your vision may get a littile
blurry but this will go away shortly.
The doctor shines a light in your eyes to see inside them.
The doctor asks u to name pictures or letters or point to
things. You may special glasses or sit at a big
machine.
Your Role
Pay attention to your child's eyes and behavior. Call the doctor
if you notice a problem or if your child complains. And have your child's eyes
checked at 6 months, 3 years, 5 years, and at last once between the ages of 7
and 18. Correcting vision problems early is the best way to correct your
child's sight.
How the child sees?
Unusual behavior can sometimes be a sign of an eye problem. Watch your child
for of the following warning signals:
Closing one eye or turning or tilting the head to see the things.Squinting
to see things in the distance.Not seeing things you point out.Consistently
holding objects close to the face or sitting very close to the tv.Blinking or
rubbing one eye a lot.
Running into objects or falling down at night or in places that are not well
lit.
For more details you can Email at
paediatricophthal@adityajyot.org
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