Pediatric Ophthalmology

What is it?

Causes

Prevention

Treatment

What is it?

Pediatric Ophthalmology is geared towards the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases, such as:

Congenital cataract and glaucoma (the child is born with it);
Ocular tumors, like a retinoblastoma;
Diseases that can appear since the early months in live, as toxoplasmosis, nasolacrimal duct obstruction or strabismus;
Refractive errors, also known as ametropias, which can be corrected with glasses.

Causes

Since children hardly tell us if there is something wrong, it is necessary to pay attention to the main problems that can appear during childhood, as:

White spot in the pupil (it can be a sign of cataract or retinoblastoma);
Tearing or excess tears in the eyes (it can be glaucoma, nasolacrimal duct obstruction, allergies or a foreign body);
Difficulty to fixate the eye sight (a sign of low visual acuity);
Strabismus (eyes not aligned).

Prevention

If there is a suspicion of any alteration of the eyes or the vision, a visit to a general or pediatric ophthalmologist must be scheduled. Many times such alterations are very subtle or difficult to notice. Therefore, the best way is to practice prevention through regular periodical examinations.

Newborn eye test

It is performed at the hospital, right after delivery, by a pediatrician and/or an ophthalmologist. If your baby will be delivered at home, it is important to have your baby’s eyes checked by a doctor during the first 6 months to guarantee your baby’s good vision health. The child must be taken to yearly eye exams even if everything was ok at the first ophthalmic evaluation.

Important

We are always running against the clock, because the faster diagnostic and treatment of ocular diseases are made, greater are the chances that the child might develop good quality vision.

Treatment

Congenital cataract

Most of the time, there is a need for surgery and it must be done during the first months of the baby’s life.

Congenital glaucoma

Many times the treatment must be surgery and eye drops.

Nasolacrimal duct obstruction

If treatment starts during the first months of life, there is a great chance to achieve total healing, through massage, inserting a probe in the duct or undergoing surgery.

Strabismus

There can be a need to wear glasses, undergo surgery or both.

Refractive errors

In some cases the doctor will prescribe corrective lenses (glasses).

Infectious diseases

It might be necessary to use antibiotic eye drops or take antibiotic pills.