Q: What is the importance of Pediatric Ophthalmology?
A: Babies, children and teenagers have different set of eye problems compared to adults. Some problems like amblyopia and congenital cataract if not treated in childhood, may lead to permanent visual loss. A Pediatric Ophthalmologist is specifically trained to treat such problems.
Q: How does a child’s vision develop?
A: A child’s vision goes through many changes during the first few years of life. At birth, a child is very sensitive to bright light. It takes around three months for a child’s eyes to work together and focus on objects. Majority of the development happens during the first two years of life. It takes almost five to six years for a child to attain complete visual development. Any eye disease affecting the normal visual development during this period may lead to permanent damage unless treated at the right time.
Q: What are refractive errors?
A: Refractive error are one of the most common cause of treatable blindness in children. Refractive error is the inability of a child to focus clearly on an object. Refractive errors can be corrected by wearing spectacles. Most common refractive errors are
- Myopia (Short sight)
- Hyperopia (Long sight)
- Astigmatism (Distorted vision)
Q: What is Amblyopia?
A: Amblyopia is also called lazy eye. It refers to poor vision in one or both eyes due to poor development of vision in early childhood. It may be caused by any problem that prevented the normal development of vision in childhood. Some of the commonest causes of amblyopia include refractive errors, congenital cataract, squint and eye injuries.
Q: Can amblyopia be treated?
A: Yes. Amblyopia can be treated if detected at an early stage during childhood. The first step is to correct the problem that has caused amblyopia. Following this, depending on the severity of amblyopia, your doctor may advice various treatment modalities such as patching of the normal eye.
Q: Can a child have cataract?
A: Yes, a child can have cataract at birth (congenital) or due to any injury. Depending on the severity, cataract can cause varying degree of visual loss. Treatment of cataract is by surgery. If not treated at appropriate time, childhood cataract can lead to amblyopia and permanent visual loss.
Q: What is squint?
A: Squint is a misalignment of the eyes. One of the eyes may be turned inwards, outwards, up or down.
Q: Can squint cause vision loss?
A: Yes, squint can lead to amblyopia and if not treated at the right time, may lead to permanent vision loss
Q: Can squint be corrected?
A: Yes. Some type of squint can be corrected by spectacles alone. Other types of squint can be corrected by surgery.
Q: Can squint be corrected in adults?
A: Yes, squint can be corrected at any age by surgery.
Q: What are the other common eye diseases in children?
A: Some of the common eye diseases in children include
- Allergic Conjunctivitis
- Ptosis (drooping of eyelids)
- Stye (swelling of eyelids)
- Blocked tear ducts (watering of eyes)
- Eye injuries
Q: What is the importance of regular eye screening in children?
A: Good vision is key to a child’s physical development, performance in school and general well-being. It is essential to check a child’s vision at infancy and during preschool and school years. A well-equipped Pediatric Ophthalmology set-up will have the proper resources to check a child’s vision at different stages of their growth. A simple refractive error, if not corrected at the appropriate age can lead to permanent vision loss. Hence it is very important to check a child’s vision regularly.
Our Consultant
