Pediatric Ophthalmology And Strabisums
This department is related to problems occurring Commonly in children like
Pediatric strabismus or squint
Amblyopia or lazy eye
Congenital Cataract,
Congenital Glaucoma
Congenital Lacrimal Drainage Block.
Retinopathy of Prematurity
What is Pediatric Squint
Strabismus is a misdirection of the eyes so that both eyes are looking in different directions. This may be present throughout the day or occur sometimes during the day.
Type Include
Esotropia (Inward Misdirection),
Exotropia (Outward), or
Hyper/ Hypotropia (UP or Downward).
Casues Of Squint
The exact cause is unknown. A loss of coordination between the muscles of the two eyes leads to squinting.
Sometimes a refractive error Hypermetropia (long sight) may lead to inward deviation of the eye.
Poor vision in an eye due to some other eye disease like cataracts, etc. may also cause squint
Therefore it is important in all cases of squint, especially in children, to have a thorough eye checkup to rule out any other cause of loss of vision.
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the most common cause of visual impairment in Squint. It may be caused by a squint or refractive error. It is most commonly treated with occlusion therapy, achieved through patching. Double vision, Eye strain, and Headache
Treatment
Glasses: First, the eyes are checked to see if there is any refractive error that may cause squint. If there is any refractive error present, it is treated first with glasses which itself may correct the squint. Secondly, wearing glasses help the eyes to see clearly which is very important for the treatment of amblyopia, and also for maintaining the coordination of the eyes after surgery.
Patching: Next the eyes are checked for amblyopia. It is important to treat the amblyopia before the surgery for squint by Patching/ Occlusion therapy.
Surgery: The squint is treated by surgery of either one or both eyes. The surgery involves weakening or strengthening the relevant muscles to restore balance and good coordination between both eyes.
Other Childhood Problem
Congenital cataract: This requires timely cataract surgery to restore vision and prevent blindness due to dense Amblyopia
Congenital nasolacrimal duct blockage (or NLD blockage) leads to watering of the eyes. This should be treated to prevent repeated infection with discharge and matting of the eyes.
Retinopathy of Prematurity is a condition of the retina that happens when a baby is born prematurely ( less than 36 weeks of gestation).