Pediatric Ophthalmology

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Pediatric Ophthalmology

• -Manipal Hospital

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• Pediatric ophthalmology is the branch of
  ophthalmology that is concerned with development
  and care of the vision for children and also how
  to avoid eye diseases in the growing years of a
  child.
• There are many diseases can impair damage or
  permanently affect vision in children. Moreover,
  children, if not develop in the later years can
  be born with congenital glaucoma, tumors
  (orbital), cataracts, Retinopathy of Prematurity
  (ROP) and other such problems. According to a
  World Health Organization report of 2009,
  estimates of 12 million children who are below
  the age of 15 are born blind
• The research from middle-income to low-income
  countries is more staggering with around 1.4
  million children who are blind live among the
  poorest and least developed nations of Asia and
  Africa.

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The importance of Pediatric Ophthalmology

• These issues make it absolutely essential to
  address and correct them in the newborn babies.
• The importance of this is paramount because even
  before a child is able to speak for the first
  time the optic nerve which is a connecting nerve
  between the eye and the brain are usually in the
  development stage after the childs birth during
  the immediate six month period.
• This is why any disease that has a chance of
  developing needs to nipped in the bud and treated
  immediately.
• A pediatric ophthalmologist needs to see whether
  a child can see or whether he or she needs
  glasses (contact lenses or otherwise) as
  strabismus where the alignment of the eyes are
  not proper (known more commonly as cross-eyed)
  and amblyopia which is very common in children
  can be corrected using glasses.

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Specialty of Pediatric Ophthalmology

• Pediatric Ophthalmology sets its boundaries based
  most importantly according to the age (hence the
  usage of the terminology pediatric) and not the
  clinical conditions of its patients. It is
  important to separate the children from the
  adults as it is important for the Pediatric
  Ophthalmologists to diagnose the treat the issues
  separately.
• The use of a friendly environment by the doctors
  is important to ensure the appropriate and
  sensitive care of children which they deserve.

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Role played by a Pediatric Ophthalmologist

• Pediatric ophthalmologists play a vital role in
  not only correctly diagnosing the issue with
  respect to the childs eye but also eliminating
  the problem with or without the use of surgery.
• It is seen that many children who have eye
  diseases may also be suffering from other health
  issues.
• Therefore a pediatric ophthalmologist must have
  constant communication with the childs
  pediatrician as well as other doctors from the
  disciplines who are taking care of the child.
• Ophthalmologists should, therefore, be engaged in
  research and educational activities in addition
  to the clinical and surgical care that they need
  to provide to their young patients

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Better Vision for our childrens future

• The problem's relating to a child's vision begin
  not only from his or her birth but the negligence
  of which has long term effects and is one of the
  leading causes of blindness.
• Thus pediatric ophthalmology is an important
  subspecialty and should be dedicated to the
  special care of children and young adults.
• The object of eye hospitals in general and
  pediatric ophthalmologists, in particular, should
  be to diagnose, treat and deliver the best eye
  care for children