Paediatric Ophthalmology
What is Paediatric Ophthalmology?
Paediatric ophthalmology focuses on diagnosing and treating eye problems in children, including squint, lazy eye, refractive errors, congenital cataracts, ROP, and childhood glaucoma. Early detection is essential for proper visual development, and treatments may include glasses, patching, or surgery depending on the condition.


CONDITIONS
AMBLYOPIA (Lazy Eye)
Amblyopia is a childhood vision condition where one eye—sometimes both—has reduced vision because the brain and eye didn’t form a strong visual connection early in life. It usually appears from birth to about 7 years old and affects around 1–5% of children worldwide.
Treatment:
Amblyopia is managed with glasses, prisms, patching, and vision therapy. Vision therapy trains both eyes to work together, improving vision and reducing the chance of recurrence.
CHILDHOOD MYOPIA (Short-Sightedness)
Childhood myopia is a progressive increase in short-sightedness during the growing years. It’s easily corrected with glasses and usually stabilises by the mid-teenage years.
Signs of myopia include :
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Squinting while doing homework, reading or watching TV
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Rubbing of eyes
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Blinking
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Fatigue
WHAT IS A SQUINT (Strabismus)?
Childhood myopia is a progressive increase in short-sightedness during the growing years. It’s easily corrected with glasses and usually stabilises by the mid-teenage years.
Signs: Closing one eye, eyes not aligning, head tilt, and poor depth perception.
Common Types: Accommodative esotropia and intermittent exotropia.

