Pediatric ophthalmology at KMN EyeCare

Pediatric ophthalmology is a branch of ophthalmology that specializes in children’s visual development and children’s eye health. Eye disorders can occur at any point during childhood, and it is crucial to treat those affecting the visual development as early as possible in order to achieve optimal vision and prevent complications.

The pediatric ophthalmology division at KMN EyeCare treats various eye disorders of children, including refractive errors, amblyopia (lazy eye), congenital/developmental cataract, obstruction of the tear duct, and pediatric retinal disorders such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).The pediatric ophthalmology team at KMN EyeCare is run by professionals who have gathered many years of experience as children’s eye doctors. Pediatric ophthalmologists at KMN EyeCare create a comfortable environment for our young patients to help them relax and cooperate throughout examinations.  They provide thorough children’s eye examinations leading to a diagnosis and subsequent treatments such as glasses prescriptions as well as any necessary eye surgeries.

Pediatric ophthalmology encompasses everything that concerns children’s eye health. As such, numerous eye diseases are concentrated in the division of pediatric ophthalmology.  The most common eye disorder among children, particularly around the time children attend preschool and primary school, is a refractive disorder, consisting of myopia (nearsightedness), hypermetropia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (occurring due to the curvature of the eye).   If left untreated, some of these refractive disorders may lead to more serious conditions, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (squint).  A few other common eye disorders of children are:

• Obstruction of the tear duct
• Strabismus (misaligned eye)
• Eye infections
• Eye allergies
• Cataract
• Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
• Other retinal disorders
• Droopy eye lid
• Eye tumors

As there are different types of eye disorders that may occur in children from birth until adolescence, children’s eye treatment will depend on the cause. Significant refractive errors will need to be corrected with glasses.  When amblyopia is present, therapy may also include eye patching or eye drops on the better eye as a means of forcing the weaker eye to work harder. Other children’s eye conditions may require medical treatment (topical or systemic medicines), while some may even require surgeries.

Parents play an important role in children’s development and in particular the development of their child’s vision. Parents also maintain responsibility in fostering their children’s compliance regarding necessary therapy, as well as bringing the children in for eye exams in the first place.  Children should have their eyes examined regularly, as many eye problems can be detected and treated early.