PAEDIATRIC EYE CARE

Visual development occurs in the early years of life. Hence eye diseases warrants thorough evaluation. Certain types of errors if left untreated may lead to defective vision or complete loss of vision at a later stage. So paediatric eye care is very important. Most common eye diseases which can occur in children are

1)Refractive errors
2)Strabismus (Squint)
3)Amblyopia
4)Paediatric cataract
5)Paediatric glaucoma

Refractive errors

Refractive errors actually constitute a major portion of defective vision in children. The common types of refractive errors are

1. Myopia or Short Sightedness:
This can be corrected by wearing concave (-) glasses or contact lens.
2. Hyperemia or Far Sightedness:
This can be corrected by wearing convex glasses or contact lens.
3. Astigmatism:
This can be corrected by cylindrical lenses or by contact lens.

Strabismus

Abnormal deviation of eyes from normal position is called Strabismus. This condition may be due to
any uncorrected refractive errors or any other ocular pathology. If left untreated it may lead to decrease in vision of the squinting eye.

This can be treated by any of the following ways:

• 1. Optical Corrections by spectacles, contact lenses etc.
• 2. Orthoptics: Also called as optometric vision therapy, is the use of eye exercise for condition such as amblyopic and strabismus
• 3. Surgical correction of strabismus is also a better alternative.
  

Amblyopia

Partial loss of sight in one or both eyes in the absence of any other ocular disease is termed as Amblyopia.

It is normally associated with squint and abnormal variation in power between both the eyes.
This is treated in the following ways

a)Proper optical correction : constant use.
b)Occlusion of the good eye is the most powerful treatment for amblyopia compelling the usage of the amblyopic eye.

Paediatric Cataract

Development of any opacity in the normal lens is called Cataract. Usually Cataract occurs in adults but cataracts can occur in children due to various factors which disturb the normal metabolism of the lens in one or both eyes.

Paediatric Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldover. It could rarely present at birth or early childhood with typical presenting features of a large eye ball, profuse watering and photophobia.It becomes an onus of the attending paediatrician to immediately refer these children for an ophthalmic opinion and demands immediate treatment to save the eye. Examination and evaluation of the child under general general anaesthesia becomes necessary. Once diagnosed, specific eye drops or surgery is planned.

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