Most common eye diseases seen in children are Squint, Lazy eye disease, Congenital or Pediatric cataract, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and uncommonly Tumors.
Services for Children
Children eye care services (Paediatric ophthalmology services) in Garg Ophthalmic Centre is unique in providing comprehensive services to all children aged below 16 years, and is well recognized as one of the best services, both nationally and internationally. The clinic is dedicated to the development of special techniques for examining and treating children’s eye diseases. The most common childhood eye diseases treated in this clinic are refractive errors, strabismus, amblyopia, congenital cataract, genetic eye diseases and congenital glaucoma. Jointly with the retina services it conducts screening and offers treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), and makes all efforts to enhance the residual vision in children with visual impairment by providing either optical or non optical low vision aids. The clinics examine and treat more than one lakh pediatric patients and perform around 4000 surgeries annually.
Squint Surgery
A Squint or Strabismus develops when the eye muscles do not work in a balanced way and the eyes do not move together correctly. This loss of coordination between the muscles of the two eyes leads to misalignment. Ideally, eyes move in parallel direction. But, in case of squint, also known as crossed eyes, one eye points in the direction in which the person is looking and the other eye turns inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. This condition is more common in children than in adults.
The squinting eye is used less often and the brain tends to neglect the image from that eye. In children, this may lead to Amblyopia (Lazy Eye). It causes decreased vision & if the squint is not treated, the vision will be permanently switched off in that eye by the brain. Moreover, constant squint reduces the development of binocularity and depth perception which are required for various activities like driving, sports etc.
Squint does not correct on its own. Treatment of squint should begin as early as possible. The eye specialist is the best judge and will advise you the correct squint. The earlier the treatment begins, greater are the chances of improvement.
Squint treatment for children include muscle exercises, use of prisms in spectacles and surgery to correct squint. Amblyopia therapy may also be required in cases with lazy eye.
