Paediatric Ophthalmology is a speciality clinic dealing with special needs of children’s eye problems. This speciality clinic is focussed towards strong visual as well as structural development of the eyes.
Children's eye problems are quite different from adults and need special care and attention from a paediatric ophthalmologist. They brain-eye development is not completely matured and can cause several abnormalities in their growth. Paediatric Ophthalmology is aimed at diagnosing these conditions at an early stage and providing relevant treatment to treat these conditions with utmost care.
What are the common conditions in Children?
Amblyopia Or Lazy Eye or Squints
If the development of the brain-eye coordination is premature, and the deprivation of vision is left untreated, it can cause Amblyopia or commonly known as Lazy Eye. If untreated in its early stages, it can cause detrimental effects for vision in later stages in life, where even corrective glasses cannot help. Squints are also a common occurrence among kids who develop prematurely or develop misalignment of the eye at an early stage.
Congenital Cataract
In certain cases, babies are born with cataract and need surgery at a very early age to prevent further damage to the eyes and vision. In a few cases, babies are also born with hazy or blurred vision, which may develop and not cause any long term defects to vision. Any such anomaly must be diagnosed at birth by an eye surgeon to receive the most appropriate treatment for long term benefits.
Congenital Glaucoma
At early stages of life, if the development of eye is not normal, it can lead to abnormal growth of the eye muscles, which in turn increase the intraocular pressure of the eye leading to Congenital Glaucoma. It usually occurs in elders but in kids, if left untreated equally damages long term vision. It is usually related with unusual watering of the eyes, clouding cornea and high sensitivity to light.
Congenital Refractive Disorders
Congenital Disorders or anomalies in the development of a kids eyes can lead to several refractive errors, that can be corrected by general corrective glasses. These do not damage your vision in the long term but can cause blurry vision that can cause inconvenience in the kids routine life.
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Infants, generally born premature, or critically low birth weight have high risk of developing Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP), which basically translates to an underdeveloped Retina. It is potentially vision threatening and should be screened and treated at an early age to avoid all detrimental effects. It is also a characteristic of babies who spend a high time in the neonatal ICU.
Lifestyle
In the current lifestyle, kids are under a lot of screentime, using phones and computers, which proves to be really harmful in the overall vision development of the kids. For kids who have an active participation in sports and outdoor activities, the increasing pollution and dust, have a high risk of developing allergies.
What are common symptoms in kids with Eye Problems
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Physical symptoms include misalignment of the eye, squint in one or both the eyes.
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Difficulty in reading or writing or in general lack of focus on visual activity can suggest refractive errors
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Headaches, redness in the eye, itchy and irritating eyes, watery eyes and regular infections
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Genetic disorders like the need for reading glasses is usually transferred from parents to their kids. Similarly, any genetic defects in the family can develop early in kids related to eye problems.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you frequently visit a Paediatric Ophthalmologist, to assess and know the general health of your kids eyes. Many conditions (not just refractive errors) may go undetected and if not treated early, can cause long term damages and can lead to permanent blindness in certain cases.
What are the treatment options for Paediatric Eye Problems
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Amblyopia Therapy
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Squint Corrections
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Lazy Eye Treatments
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Childhood Allergies and Infections
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Refractive Errors Correction
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Surgical Treatments for Congenital defects
For more information on Paediatric treatment options, please contact or visit our centres and our consulting paediatric ophthalmologists will assist you.
NOTE: For all Paediatric Eye Problems, it is highly recommended that you get an early diagnosis of conditions and get the relevant treatment in the early stages to prevent any fatal damage or long term loss of vision.