CHILD EYE
Myopia is also known as near-sightedness, where there ismore difficulty in distance vision compared to near vision. Here the distant objects appear more blurred than the near ones. Contrary to what people believe myopia doesn't mean blindness. Children and older people with myopia can lead comfortable normal lives with corrective glasses or contact lenses or laser vision correction procedures.
How is it corrected?
As a first step it is usually corrected with glasses , whichare commonly known as “minus” glasses. later depending upon age and other factors, contact lenses or laser vision correction can be done .
Can myopia increase?
Myopia is known to slowly progress with age usually upto around 18 years of age, here progression means the power of the “minus” glasses increases. It is usually linked with growth of the body and variousother factors .
What precautions are to be taken to prevent progression?
In this day and age of digital media ,where children do mostof their studying on laptops, desktops or tabs, it is important to reduce screen time for all non-essential works like video games and etc.
Are there any medicines to correct myopia?
As of now Atropine in the concentration of 0.01% is known to slow down the progression of myopia, but it neither stops progression nor does it reduce the glass power
At what frequency should I get eyes checked up if I havemyopia?
In myopes eyes should be checked every 6-8 months or atleast once in a year
What is the earliest age at which a child’s eyes should be checked up?
If your child is pre-mature then 1st checkup should be within 1 month of birth, otherwise within first six months of birth for a routine checkup .
Can children have cataract? Isn't it a disorder of theelderly?
Although Cataract is common in the elderly, but in fact newborn children can be born with cataract .
What is the treatment for cataract in children?
Similar to in elderly, cataract in children requires surgeryfor treatment. Although there are subtle differences between the two , but itis mostly pertaining to the way the surgery is done which concerns theoperating surgeon.
Are glasses required after cataract surgery in children?
Yes , bifocal glasses are required after surgery .
Is an Intra-Ocular Lens [IOL] implanted into the eye duringsurgery?
Usually children older than 1 year of age are implanted anIOL, the decision of implanting an IOL in children younger than 1 yr of ageusually rests with the surgeon.
What precautions are to be taken after cataract surgery in children?
The usual standard precautions are to be taken, any special precaution will be intimated to you by the doctor
At what frequency should I get my child's eyes checked upafter cataract surgery?
After Surgery in children eyes should be checkedevery 6months, which should constitute glass power checkup, checkup of eye pressure [IOP] and retinal evaluation. Some children do not co-operate for IOPmeasurement, they may need a short sedation for IOP checkup.
What is squint?
Squint is also known as strabismus , it is a condition wherethe two eyes are “pointed” in two different directions . If it points inwardsit is known as convergent squint [Esotropia] , if it points outwards it isknown as divergent squint [Exotropia] .
Can squint occur in one eye?
Squint is kind of a relationship between two eyes , so whenone eye squints the other eye remains straight and vice versa .
What are the treatment options for squint?
Usually initially glasses and/or exercises are advised forsquint , if they are not adequate surgery may be required .
I have heard about laser cataract surgery , is laser squintsurgery possible?
Unlike cataract surgery squint surgery cannot be done withlasers as of now .
My child’s eye remain straight when he/she is wearing theglasses, but squints as soon as the glasses are taken off , can surgerycorrect it?
Usually surgery is reserved for patients in whom squint isnot correctable by other means like glasses or exercises , so if squint iscorrected with glasses it means it requires glasses only as treatment .
Do I have to wear glasses after squint surgery?
Yes , surgery for squint will not lead toremoval of glasses . other measures have to be taken to remove glasses .
What is patching ?
Patching is a form of treatment given to correct lazy eyes .Here the better eye is fully covered for a particular number of hours asadvised by the doctor , this should be accompanied by glasses if needed .
My child doesn't want to patch , can I patch while he/shesleeps?
Patching has to be done during ONLY during waking hours .during patching some visually demanding task has to be done , to force theweaker eye work , this helps in regaining its function .
My child doesn't want to patch , can I patch after he/shegrows up a little ?
Younger the age , more effective is patching as a therapy ,if patching is not done early , the damage may become irreversible .
What should I patch with?
Patching can be done with commercially available patches ,or can also be done with tissue paper and tape . Anything that covers the eyefully is good enough .
Can glasses with one eye frosted lens be used for patching?
Yes , but they are not as effective as patching , but if thechild doesn't patch at all , then it can be done as a second option , assomething is better than nothing .
It is one of the toughest and most intricate thing to do, as children, especially of pre-school going age group, can neither complain of their problems nor can express how they see this world. A thorough and comprehensive Eye examination, starting from History taking, proper Refractive evaluation with and without Cycloplegic (dilating) drops, evaluation of the outer parts of the eye by Slit-Lamp Biomicroscope and finally dilated Retina evaluation by a team of Qualified and well trained Ophthalmologists and Optometrists, is of utmost importance.
I find recurrent swelling of the lids or stye in my child. Is that a matter of concern ?
Yes, it is a sign of frequent eye rubbing for which glands on the lids get clogged and stye happens. It may so happen that the child rubs more as he can not see clearly and feels that it will be clearer after rubbing. A detailed eye exam is a must in this case.
My child complains of itching with/ without redness. What should I do ?
Eye allergy is very common in children, more so, in summer season or in season changes. Sometimes, a super added infection may also be there. It is better to come for a check up with these symptoms.
My child goes too close to the TV while watching Cartoon. Is it normal ?
No, it is not normal. Children go close to an object when they do not see things clearly and try to help themselves with approach magnification by going forward. Refractive error should be ruled out here.
Can we assess the visual acuity of my child at home ?
Yes, you can have a rough idea by asking your child to read some letters on the TV screen or Calender from a standard distance what you normally can see with or without glasses, provided you have optimum vision yourself. At clinic, the distance as well as the letter sizes are standardized as per international norms.
Do online classes have any harmful effect on my child's eye ?
Exposure of eyes to any Digital Screen for long hours, is actually stressful for the eyes as we try to accommodate and see on an illuminated background which may induce eyestrain and headache. Moreover, these screens also emit harmful Blue rays which alter child's sleep cycle and may give rise to dry eyes too. You need to be careful of child's sitting posture and the positioning of the gadgets as well to reduce strain.
I have high myopia. Do my children have any chance to inherit ?
It is not certain that your child will surely have it but it has been seen that if any/both parents have myopia then the probability of your child inheriting myopia is more. It is best to have an eye check up at an early age of the child to rule out any such possibilities.
How myopia or near sightedness is corrected in a child ?
Glasses are prescribed to correct myopia. Contact lenses are also given depending on the degree of myopia, necessity and the age of the child. Once the power becomes stable then there are many ways to correct them permanently (LASIK/ICL) after the age of 19 years.
Can Myopia be controlled ?
Usually it increases till 18-19 years of age, in proportion to the growth of the body and length of the eye but some therapies are being advocated nowadays, for children, which can effectively control it and many more are still in pipeline to meet the need of this Myopia pandemic.
I find my child squinting or squeezing of eyes at times or having crossed eye. What should we do ?
There could be a chance of latent (hidden) refractive power of the child. A thorough eye check up with refraction and ocular motility test is important. If these are not detected at early age, there is chance of permanent visual impairment.
What is Lazy Eye ? How to treat it ?
Children sometimes develop subnormal vision when eyes do not work to its fullest capacity despite the refractive power being fully corrected. Clinically it is called Amblyopia but commonly known as Lazy eye. It is best to be detected early and initiate some therapies to have best possible visual outcome in future.
How frequently eye check up should be done for children ?
We recommend six monthly check up for children who have spectacles, otherwise a yearly check up is advisable.
My child is very careless of his spectacles, at times sits on them.Any harm?
All the glasses have an Optical centre which needs to align with the Visual axis of the eye. If the glass is tilted then this alignment gets disturbed and may induce headache and eyestrain. Proper fitting spectacle is a must.
We request parents to be watchful of following things and bring their children for check up if such things are found.
- Child having red eye and light sensitivity
- Child reads at low light or lying down
- Frequent headache or eyeache
- Class teacher complains of absent mindedness or inability to take notes in class
- Not able to differentiate colours
Apart from all above, parents are requested to be careful of few things for their Newborn :
Watering, discharge and subsequent redness in eyes within first month of birth – as many children are born with blockage in the duct or passage where the tear from eye gets drained into. With proper intervention, this problem can be easily overcome.
If the child is born pre-term with low birth weight and kept in NICU with oxygen support –Eye check up immediately after discharge from hospital is important as there could a chance of Retinopathy of Prematurity in which there might be irreversible visual loss if not treated on time.
