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Keep an Eye on Children’s Eyesight
Identifying Young Patients at Risk for Vision Problems
As a result, pediatricians and family practitioners should screen for vision problems in children of all ages in order to identify those who need early referral to the ophthalmologist. Recommended vision screening techniques include observation of the red reflex as well as observing fixation and following tendencies in infants and toddlers. In addition, recent advancements in automated vision screening technologies used to identify visual problems are on the brink of becoming an important part of this critical process. Newborns As many primary physicians know, newborns may be born with blocked tear ducts. Typically, this will cause excess tearing and frequent infections. It is a common condition affecting up to 10 percent of children. In most cases, it will resolve with time. Massaging the tear duct may help. However, if symptoms persist, then the tear duct may be opened by an ophthalmologist after the child is six months old. It is also common also for the eyes of newborns to be intermittently out of alignment. If this persists longer than three months corrected age, further evaluation is needed. Children’s Vision Most young children are hyperopic (farsighted). They can compensate for this hyperopia by focusing the lens within their eye and therefore, can see well at any distance. They usually do not require glasses. However, even an infant can wear glasses if necessary for higher levels of hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism. Alignment of the Eyes Strabismus is when the eyes go out of alignment. One eye may be deviated in, out, up or down with respect to the other. This may occur at any age for many different reasons. All children who have strabismus (except for the intermittent horizontal strabismus in the first three months of life) should have a complete eye examination performed. Usually, the strabismus is an isolated problem, but occasionally it may be a sign of more serious eye conditions or neurological disease. Even isolated strabismus can cause permanent vision loss if untreated in a child from amblyopia. Treatment of strabismus depends on a number of factors but may include: patching, eyeglasses, exercises and surgery. Headaches Headaches are common in childhood and are most often caused by other factors unrelated to the eyes. There are times, however, when headaches may be caused by a need for glasses or difficulty using the eyes together. As a child’s primary care doctor, a request for an examination to look for eye or vision-related factors may be necessary in the workup to determine an etiology for the headaches. Trouble Reading Some children may have difficulty bringing their eyes in together to focus for reading. This is called convergence insufficiency. Common symptoms include headaches when reading, words appearing to move on the page, difficulty keeping one’s place while reading and double vision when looking near. Abnormal Red Eye in Photos Retinoblastoma is a cancer that may affect the eyes of young children. An irregularity in the red reflex or “abnormal red eye” seen in digital photographs may be the first sign of this serious eye condition. When to Refer Patients to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist As you examine your pediatric patients, an ophthalmic consultation should be requested for:
June 2008 Tags:NoneBookmark:
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