| ||
| Vol. 22, No. 13 |
| July 15, 2000 |
|
Childhood Eye Care Should Begin in the First Months of Life by JENNIFER HART Texas Children's Hospital It is never too soon for parents to learn the basics of childhood eye care. "Almost all newborns will experience some drifting or misalignment of the eyes," says Dr. Kathryn Brady-McCreery, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Texas Children's Hospital. "B ut by the time an infant reaches 3 months, he or she should be able to fix on a parent's face with both eyes aligned straight ahead and follow the parents' movement. "If the baby cannot do this, there might be a visual problem or ocular misalignment, which can include `lazy eye,' strabismus (a child's eyes turn in, out, up or down) or amblyopia. A pediatric ophthalmologist should be consulted right away." Children go through a period of visual maturation, which begins at birth and is completed at 7 or 8 years of age. Any disruption in this process, such as ocular misalignment, can result in decreased vision in one eye, known as amblyopia. Treatment of this condition is most effective when the child is young and may consist of an eye patch, glasses or eye-muscle surgery. As the child prepares to enter school, parents should schedule a routine eye exam prior to entering pre-kindergarten, usually when a child reaches 4 years of age. Dr. Brady-McCreery suggests that parents explain to their child that the exam is not painful, but the doctor will use special eye drops to help the doctor see the eyes better. The visit usually takes up to two hours. Vision can be assessed using toys, a picture chart or an alphabet chart. The eyes are checked for misalignment, and the pupils are dilated. Dilation of the pupils allows the physician to examine the retina and determine if there is a need for glasses. "Early intervention can preserve the child's eyesight and may prevent any additional visual impairments in the future," says Dr. Brady-McCreery, also assistant professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/07_15_00/page_21.html |