Screen children's eyes by the time they turn 3
Special to The Ithaca Journal By Peter S.
Schwartz, MD
(Published June 8, 2006)
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children have
their eyes screened by the time they are three years old. This
screening should be performed by an ophthalmologist, who is a medical
doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating eye and vision
problems. These pediatric guidelines include all children, including
those who are healthy, with no obvious visual or physical problems.
The emphasis on early ophthalmologic screening is very important. The
vision center of the brain develops from the time of birth through the
sixth or seventh year of life. When a child suffers from poor vision
during these critical early years of development, the brain is not
stimulated to “learn” to see. Left undiagnosed and uncorrected,
impaired vision during these first few years can lead to poor vision
that is permanent. Amblyopia, sometimes known as lazy eye, is
correctable as a child, but typically cannot be corrected past the age
of seven or eight.
At how early an age can vision problems be detected?
A pediatric ophthalmologist can examine a newborn child and determine
whether the child will need glasses or if there is another eye problem
present. Even premature babies should be examined while still in the
hospital. Certainly when parents or siblings of the baby wear glasses,
or have any family history of eye problems, it’s a good idea to have
the baby screened sooner rather than later.
What are the most common pediatric eye problems?
Most kids with vision problems just need glasses, either to correct
refractive errors (near or far sightedness or astigmatism) or to
address eye muscle disorders.
Another common pediatric eye problem is a wandering, or crossed eye.
Known as strabismus, this can occur for many reasons. Poor vision from
refractive errors, pediatric cataracts, or problems with the brain
controlling the eye muscles are some examples.
Amblyopia, which we discussed earlier, can be associated with almost
any disorder that compromises the vision. It may be associated with
wandering eyes, or other obvious signs of eye disease. However it may
be hidden to even an attentive parent or pediatrician.
It’s also not uncommon for young children to suffer trauma to the eye
from accidents; these injuries should be addressed immediately.
How are problems like lazy eye and crossed eyes treated?
In treating amblyopia or strabismus we are striving to teach the brain
to see out of both eyes together and to achieve a satisfactory
cosmetic result. Sometimes these conditions can be successfully
treated with a combination of glasses, exercises, eye drops, and an
eye patch to help the weaker eye work harder. Often, however, surgery
is required to achieve goals of treatment. These are same-day surgery
procedures performed at Cayuga Medical Center’s Surgicare on the
Convenient Care Campus in Ithaca. Kids undergoing this surgery are
typically back at school in a couple of days.
If there is no family history of vision problems and no obvious vision
problem, do I still need to have my child screened?
Yes, you should have your child’s vision screened. Amblyopia is not
always obvious even to a watchful parent; the signs can be very
subtle. Your child’s eyes may be aligning well and there may still be
a vision deficit. You might notice that your child is clumsy, and this
may well be due to the fact that he or she is simply not seeing
well. Routine eye exams for healthy, normal kids can go a long way to
ensuring better vision for the rest of their lives.
Dr. Schwartz is board certified in ophthalmology and is fellowship
trained in pediatric ophthalmology. He is a member of the medical
staff of Cayuga Medical Center and treats both pediatric and adult
patients. His practice is located at 2333 North Triphammer Road in
Ithaca and he can be reached at (607) 266-7600.
Dr. Schwartz graduated with distinction from Cornell in an
accelerated three-and-a-half-year program and went on to the Mount
Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he also graduated with
honors and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
Following his ophthalmology residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr.
Schwartz went to Children’s Hospital of Michigan for a fellowship in
pediatric ophthalmology. He also served on the teaching faculties of
two of the country’s premier teaching hospitals, the New York Eye and
Ear Infirmary and Mount Sinai Medical Center, where medical residents
in specialty training honored him with a number of teaching awards.
Actual Article
(large file suitable for
high speed internet access)
. 