Paediatric Ophthalmology

During early years its crucial to detect and manage any eye problems to prevent permanent damage or vision loss. Paediatric ophthalmologist provides specialised assessment and management of children’s eye conditions.

Some of the common eye problems in children include:

• Refractive error – Shortsightedness/longsightedness/astigmatism result in blurring of vision. Very large refractive errors must be treated to avoid permanent reduction in vision or amblyopia. Signs to look for are frequent squinting and moving very close to objects.
• Strabismus is a condition where the eyes are misaligned or not looking in the same direction at the same point in time
• Amblyopia when one eye is weaker than the other and doesn’t achieve normal vision.
• Nystagmus is a condition where eye makes involuntary repetitive movements which often result in reduced vision and depth perception.
• Cysts
• Infantile Glaucoma occurs in infants and young children. As a result of high pressure inside of the eye, the eye may enlarge and become cloudy. Unless treated the cornea will become cloudier and nerve damage will progress eventually leading to blindness.
• Retinopathy Of Prematurity is associated with premature birth and will only be picked up during an eye exam. Most cases are mild and only need to be observed. In rare instances when disorder is severe treatment is required to prevent severe vision loss or blindness.