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PEDIATRIC EYE EXAMINATION
1.What Is The Importance Of Eye Examination In Children?
2.When Should I Have My Child’s Eye Examinations?
3.What Are The Eye Diseases That Can Be Seen In Children In The First Six Months?
– Congenital Cataract
– Retinoblastoma
– Corneal Dystrophies
– Strabismus
– Eyelid Anomalies
– Tear Duct Blockage And Treatment
4.What Are The Most Common Eye Problems In Childhood?
– Lazy Vision (Amblyopia)
– Astigmatism
– Myopia
– Hyperopia
– Strabismus
– Eye Infections
– Eye Allergy (Spring Allergy)
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE EXAMINATION IN CHILDREN?
Eye examinations in childhood are important because:
Childhood is an important developmental period for the visual system. An eye examination is an important tool to monitor your child’s eyesight and the health of their eyes. Problems that arise during this period can be better managed when detected early.
Eye health can directly affect your child’s school performance. In particular; conditions such as lazy eye can lead to difficulties with reading, writing and other learning activities. Early detection and treatment of eye problems can have a positive impact on your child’s learning process.
During an eye examination, potential problems with your child’s eye health can be identified. For example, if vision disorders such as lazy eye, astigmatism, myopia or hyperopia are diagnosed and treated early, the risk of vision loss is reduced.
Regular eye examinations at an early age support the healthy development of your child’s eyes. This can help maintain eye health and improve vision quality in the long term.
In summary, regular eye examinations in childhood are important to monitor your child’s eye health, detect visual disorders early and provide appropriate treatment or referral. This will improve your child’s quality of life and protect the health of their eyes.
WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY CHILD’S EYE EXAMINATIONS?
Eye examination in children is a health check that should be done at regular intervals from the birth. Here is the recommended timing of eye examinations in children:
Newborn Period: The eyes of newborn babies are examined at birth. The anatomical structures of the eyes and eye movements are evaluated. If there are symptoms such as strabismus or other eye problems, treatment should be started early. Eyelids and tear duct obstructions are evaluated. The color of both pupils is checked.
First 6 Months: The first eye examination should be done when your child is 6 months old. The aim of this examination is to evaluate the healthy development of the eyes and basic eye functions.
Between 3-5 Years (Kindergarten period): It is important that your child has another eye examination between the ages of 3-5. At this age, vision problems should be identified and treated as children prepare for school.
Primary School Period: Eye examinations should also be performed when the child starts school and during primary school. Vision problems may occur frequently during this period and may affect learning performance.
Between 12-13 Years Of Age: It is important for your child to have another eye examination at the age of 12-13. Some eye disorders such as myopia often occur at this age and can be controlled with appropriate treatment.
At Regular Intervals: In general, your child’s eye exam should be done once a year or at intervals recommended by your doctor. However, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist immediately if your child has any eye-related problems or if you have any suspicions.
Eye examinations are important for monitoring your child’s eye health, detecting vision disorders early and providing appropriate treatment or referral. Therefore, regular eye examinations are important to protect your child’s eye health.
WHAT ARE THE EYE DISEASES THAT CAN BE SEEN IN CHILDREN IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS?
Congenital Cataracts: Congenital cataracts are opacification or clouding of the lenses of babies’ eyes. This condition affects babies’ vision and requires early diagnosis and treatment. Congenital cataracts require emergency surgery.
Retinoblastoma: Retinoblastoma, a tumor that can also be seen in newborns, is caused by uncontrolled growth of retinal cells. It is characterized by a bright white color in the pupil.
Corneal Dystrophies: Congenital corneal disorders in newborns are associated with structural abnormalities of the cornea and can lead to vision problems.
Strabismus: Strabismus can also be seen in newborns. As a result of a coordination disorder between the eyes, one eye may look in different directions than the other.
Eyelid Anomalies: Congenital eyelid anomalies can affect the eye health of newborns. For example, conditions such as the lids not closing or not fully developing can affect eye health.
Tear Duct Blockages: Tear duct blockages in newborns can cause watery eyes and an increased risk of infection. There is excessive watering in the eyes or only one eye, burring, adhesion on the lower upper lid and redness of the eye. The root of the nose is swollen in the baby. When this swelling is pressed, pus comes out.
In the newborn, the tear ducts are normally blocked. The membrane at the end of the tear ducts opens spontaneously. If it does not open immediately, most of them open spontaneously within a few months.
Tear ducts that do not open physiologically cause tear duct obstruction in the newborn. The sac area is massaged and waited until the age of two. In the meantime, antibiotic eye drops are used for burring. If the tear duct does not open until the age of two, the duct is opened by probing. If the canal has not opened after the first attempt, it is tried again after 2 months. If it does not open again, a silicone tube is placed in the canal. If this is not successful, the canal is opened with an operation (DSR).
How is tear duct massage performed?
The eye is cleaned of burrs. Antibiotic drops are instilled. Press the swollen sac at the root of the nose with the index finger. This pressure should be moderate. Then the index finger is pulled towards the root of the nose. This action is repeated 25 times and done 4 times a day.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON EYE PROBLEMS IN CHILDHOOD?
Lazy Eye (Amblyopia): Lazy eye is a condition in which one eye has poorer vision than the other. This condition is usually caused by a mismatch between the eyes and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated at an early age.
Astigmatism: Astigmatism is an eye disorder in which the surface of the eye is irregularly curved. In this case, light is not evenly distributed over the eye and a clear image cannot be created. Astigmatism can be diagnosed with an eye examination and corrected with glasses or lenses.
Myopia (Distance Vision Impairment): Myopia is the difficulty in seeing distant objects clearly. Myopia is detected by eye examination and corrected with glasses or lenses with appropriate numbers.
Hyperopia (Near Vision Impairment): Hypermetropia is a condition in which it is difficult to see nearby objects clearly. This condition is common in children and is corrected with glasses or lenses.
Strabismus: Some children may have an imbalance or weakness of the eye muscles. This can lead to strabismus or other focusing problems.
Eye Infections: Eye infections can also be common in childhood. Especially bacterial or viral infections can cause redness, watery eyes and inflammation.
Eye Allergies (Spring Allergy): Eye allergy in children is usually due to sensitivity to pollen in spring. It occurs at certain time intervals every year. In adulthood, this allergy is usually not seen or is very mild. Antihistamine, antiallergic and cortisone eye drops are used in treatment. Severe itching, watering, redness and mucus-like discharge may occur. The dosage and choice of medication is adjusted according to the severity of the symptoms.
In some children, pet hair, fungal spores and house dust can also cause eye allergy. Similar eye drops are used in treatment.
These conditions are common eye problems in childhood. With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, most conditions can be managed and visual health can be preserved.
LAZY EYE
- What Is Lazy Eye?
- What Are The Causes Of Lazy Eye?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Lazy Eye?
- How Is Lazy Eye Treated?
WHAT IS LAZY EYE?
It is a condition in which the eye sees less even though there is no abnormality in the eye, optic nerve or brain. It can occur in one eye or both eyes.
The visual center in the brain develops until the age of five. For this purpose, the visual center in the brain should develop by sending a regular image from the eyes to the brain. Otherwise, the visual center in the brain cannot develop and lazy vision occurs.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF LAZY EYE?
Refractive (hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism) Amblyopia: This type develops due to the difference in refraction between the eyes. In other words, due to the difference in one eye’s ability to see far or near clearly, the other eye is used less and becomes lazy.
Deprivation Amblyopia: In this condition, the stimuli necessary for the normal development of one eye are insufficient. For example, an obstacle such as cataracts, corneal opacities, droopy upper lid covering the pupil prevents the eye from seeing normally and makes the eye lazy.
Strabismus Amblyopia: In strabismus, one eye looks in a different direction than the other. In this case, the brain cannot combine the different images from the two eyes and the stronger eye is preferred while the other eye becomes lazy.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF LAZY EYE?
Symptoms of lazy eye or amblyopia are usually recognized during childhood. These symptoms may include:
Focusing With One Eye: The child usually starts to use one eye and neglect the other eye. Especially when one eye is weaker than the other, the stronger eye is preferred.
Eye Shift: A condition called strabismus can be one of the symptoms of amblyopia. When one eye is looking in its normal position, the other eye may shift in a different direction.
Problems With Depth Perception With One Eye: Children with lazy eye may have problems with depth perception. For example, they may have difficulty with activities such as estimating distance or catching a ball.
Blurred Vision: The eye with amblyopia often cannot see clearly or the image may be blurred. This can affect a child’s school performance and cause difficulty with activities such as reading and writing.
Eye Pain Or Fatigue: Children with lazy eye may feel pain or fatigue when trying to use their weak eye.
Squeezing The Eyelids: In some cases, children with lazy eye may express discomfort by squeezing their eyelids or constantly rubbing their eyes.
Keeping The Head In A Tilted Position: This is seen in eye muscle dysfunction.
HOW IS LAZY EYE TREATED?
Lazy eye should be diagnosed and treated until a certain age. The sensitive period for lazy eye due to strabismus is 7-8 years of age, and for lazy eye due to eye disorders (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) is 11-12 years of age. In other words, lazy vision cannot be treated after these ages.
For this reason, children should definitely have an eye examination in the first 6 months, at the age of 1 year, 3-5 years and when starting primary school.
With Closure Therapy, the healthy eye is closed and the lazy eye is activated. Full-time or part-time closure depends on the age of the patient and the degree of amblyopia. The younger the patient, the faster the recovery. The better the visual acuity at the beginning of the closure, the shorter the time required. If there is no improvement after 6 months of closure, further treatment is unlikely to be effective.
Sometimes children cannot close their eyes. Children do not adapt to the closure. In this case, drops that blur vision (atropine) are instilled into the healthy eye and the lazy eye is forced to see.
During closure treatment, it is important not to cause laziness in the healthy eye. For this, the vision of both eyes should be checked at frequent intervals.
STRABISMUS IN CHILDREN
Strabismus is a condition in which both eyes cannot look at the same point. Sometimes one eye may be shifted inwards, outwards or upwards. Sometimes the child with strabismus may be holding his/her head sideways. While obvious strabismus is easily recognized by the family, subtle strabismus is also common and can often be missed. When the family fails to recognize the strabismus, treatment is delayed and this leads to lazy vision. It is therefore very important to take the child for regular eye examinations from birth.
Strabismus in childhood can be divided into two groups: those that can be corrected with glasses and those that cannot be corrected with glasses. There is no need for surgical treatment in strabismus corrected with glasses. Eyeglass examinations every six months and then once a year are sufficient. However, if strabismus does not improve with glasses, surgical treatment is urgently needed.
The content of our website has been created for informational purposes. It does not constitute a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. An ophthalmologist should be consulted for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
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