Specialists in pediatric Ophthalmology state that the most frequent ophthalmologic pathologies in children vary greatly according to age. In children under one year of age, obstruction of the lachrymonasal duct is frequent. Between one and four years of age, conjunctivitis and strabismus are frequent. From four years of age onwards, optical defects are the most common.
- The obstruction of the tear duct occurs because the duct that should drain tears from the eye to the nose should open shortly before birth and has not done so. If it does not open, the tear becomes stagnant because it cannot drain into the nose. The baby’s eye is wet and the tear runs down the cheek, producing more or less tearing. The treatment of lacrimal obstruction consists of performing a lacrimal massage to help the lacrimal duct to open by itself. If the obstruction persists, a probing of the tear duct should be performed.
- Conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is often caused by a viral or bacterial infection or due to allergy. The treatment is based on antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops.
- Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes. This causes each eye to focus to a different place. Its treatment depends on each type and each case. It is usually treated with glasses, patching to prevent lazy eye or even eye muscle surgery.
- Optical defects cause the image to be out of focus on the retina. In myopia, it is focused in front of the retina, in hyperopia behind and in astigmatism, on the contrary, there are different foci. They are treated with glasses or contact lenses. From the age of 18, refractive surgery can be performed using laser or intraocular lenses.
How often should a child have an ophthalmologic checkup?
If there are no symptoms, the first checkup should be done at the age of three. If there are any symptoms, the first checkup should be done when they appear and should not wait until the child is three years old.
Once the first check-up has been made, in the event of any anomaly, periodic check-ups should be made depending on each case. If, on the other hand, there is no alteration, an annual check-up is performed.