As a parent, you play an important role in ensuring that your child’s eyes and vision develop properly. It is critical to detect any problems early, so that babies can develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.
The most common eye problems in children are blurred vision (refractive errors), crossed eyes (strabismus), and lazy eye (amblyopia). Untreated vision problems can lead to future issues, which may become harder to treat. Look out for the following signs, as they may be indications of eye and vision problems that warrant a visit to the eye doctor.
- Excessive tearing may indicate blocked tear ducts
- Red or encrusted eyelids could be a sign of an eye infection
- Constant eye turning may signal a problem with eye muscle control
- Extreme sensitivity to light may indicate an elevated pressure in the eye
- The appearance of a white pupil may indicate the presence of cataract, retinal problems, or eye cancer
Other signs of eye problems may be less obvious, such as:
- Having one eye turn in or out (this may be easier to spot when your child is tired)
- Rubbing their eyes a lot
- Watery eyes
- Clumsiness, and poor hand-eye coordination
- Avoiding reading, writing, or drawing
- Squinting their eyes when reading or watching TV
- Sitting very close to the TV, or holding books or objects close to the face
- Having behaviour or concentration problems at school
- Blurred or double vision, or unexplained headaches
As per WebMD.com, there are three types of eye specialists who can provide children’s eye and vision care:
- Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who provides eye care, such as complete eye exams, prescribing corrective lenses, diagnosing and treating eye diseases, and performing eye surgery. - Optometrist
An optometrist is a health care professional who can provide complete eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, diagnose common eye disorders, and treat selected eye diseases. Optometrists do not treat more complex eye problems or perform surgery. - Optician
An optician assembles, fits, sells, and fills prescriptions for eyeglasses.
Writer details:
Dr. Deepika completed her MBBS from Lahore, Pakistan and her MD in Ophthalmology from Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu. Her speciality lies in Cornea and Anterior Segment Diseases. She has a fellowship on cataract and anterior segment disease from Mechi Eye Hospital and a Cornea Fellowship from Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in New Delhi. She is a mother of a three-year-old and is interested in ensuring that parents recognize the importance of children’s eye health early on.
