The eyes of the youngest children have certain particularities that differentiate them from the eyes of adults. It is a developing eye, immature, more elastic and reactive to external phenomena. Children’s eyes tend to suffer from pediatric age diseases and that is why their problems should be managed by a specialist in Pediatric Ophthalmology. Paying attention to the correct evolution of children’s vision is determinant because these are the years that will mark the vision and will allow the integral development of the person.
The anatomical growth of the eye takes place slowly, but the functional changes occur in a vertiginous way. A newborn has a very low visual capacity (less than 10% of the vision of an adult) and improves until it reaches 100% between 5 and 7 years of age. Any disorder during this period may cause a halt in the visual maturation process.
What are the most frequent eye diseases?
Refractive defects (spectacle defects or ametropia). These are three types of defects: farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. The symptoms that can give away these defects are:
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Asthenopia
They are corrected with glasses or contact lenses (contact lenses) and at Eurolàser Institut Oftalmològic they are pioneers in the prevention of the progression of infant-juvenile myopia with atropine eye drops. Refractive errors can be detected in very young children, even if they cannot express it because they have not begun to speak.
Another of the most frequent problems is strabismus, the deviation of one or both eyes in one of the gaze positions. It may be a horizontal deviation (inward: endotropia; outward: exotropia) or a vertical deviation (upward: hypertropia; downward: hypotropia). Strabismus, in addition to the esthetic problem it generates, can cause significant stereopsis (binocular vision) problems.
In practice this translates into difficulties in distance calculation and relief vision. Children with strabismus usually have more motor difficulties for this reason. Any child with intermittent strabismus should be evaluated by a pediatric ophthalmologist at 6-7 months of age. If the deviation is permanent, it should be checked immediately.
Strabismus can be corrected with glasses, surgery or both. Strabismus surgery consists of isolating the extraocular muscles and strengthening or weakening them as appropriate for each patient. In children, it is a type of surgery that requires general anesthesia.
Lacrimal obstruction is another common eye disease. Tears are formed in the lacrimal gland and lubricate the anterior surface of the eye. Once it has fulfilled its function, it drains through the lacrimal puncta and reaches the nose through the nasolacrimal duct. When the pathway is obstructed, it is called dacryostenosis or lacrimal duct obstruction.
In children it is manifested by tearing and conjunctival discharge from birth. It is likely that even the eye does not redden and during the first months of life it resolves spontaneously with the help of lacrimal massage. If the problem does not reverse, it should be necessary to probe the lacrimal duct from the age of one year.
On the other hand, there are also infections affecting the eyelids and orbit, those affecting the lacrimal duct and those directly affecting the eyeball. The delicacy of the ocular tissues and the possible residual lesions caused by infections require an excellent knowledge of the germs that affect this area. Normally the germs that affect children are different from those that affect adults.
Lastly, there are ocular tumors and trauma. Tumors are very rare pathologies but they can have serious consequences on vision and even, in some cases, on the child’s life. On the child’s life.
While traumatisms are the most frequent ocular pathologies in children. Most of them are mild and unimportant, although on other occasions they can cause a perforation in the eyeball and may require urgent surgery.
Visual hygiene tips
The prevalent use of display screens in the pediatric age group makes it mandatory to comply with a series of basic rules of visual hygiene. The multidisciplinary team of pediatric ophthalmologists and optometrists ensures the transmission of this advice:
- Maintain a posture as upright as possible while working in front of the computer.
- Maintain a minimum distance of 60 cm between the eyes and the screen.