Issue 48.10
Nothing is dearer to us than our children. And knowing what to look for can help protect your child’s sight. Here are some things you need to know so your child’s vision remains healthy.
At birth and in early childhood, the pediatrician examines newborns for congenital cataracts. While there are many reasons a child might get cataracts, including developmental conditions and injury, about one-third of all cataracts are hereditary.
About 10 percent of young babies have a condition where the eyes are wet and have a mucus-like discharge. This is caused by a blockage of the tear drainage system. It usually resolves by the first birthday. If it doesn’t clear up, an ophthalmologist may perform a simple irrigation procedure.
In the first three months of life, a child’s eyes will sometimes wander. However, between three and six months of age the baby will start to make good eye contact and follow a parent’s face as it moves. As soon as this occurs, the eyes should be straight and any misalignment needs to be checked on by an ophthalmologist. In toddlers, a crossed eye often means difficulty focusing because of farsightedness. Usually this shows up at about two and a half years of age. Since children are developing depth perception and other motor coordination skills that use vision, anything that disrupts that needs to be treated as early as possible.
As kids get older, vision screenings are done at school and at the pediatrician’s office. In school, screening should begin in kindergarten and then in the first, third and fifth grades. Multiple screenings over that period should pick up most eye disorders that need medical attention. Cataracts, cloudy corneas, crossed eyes and tearing eyes are usually identified by parents before they are identified by a school nurse or a pediatrician, so even though vision screenings are important, an attentive and aware parent is the child’s best advocate.
Jason W. Hendrix is a Board certified Ophthalmologist, and fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is in private practice at the St. George Eye Center. For appointments or information, call 435-628-4507.