What is Paediatric Ophthalmology?
A paediatric ophthalmologist is a specialist medical doctor adept in the medical and surgical care of children’s eyes. All ophthalmologists have training in children’s eye disorders, but the paediatric ophthalmologist has additional training, experience, and expertise in examining children, and has the greatest knowledge of possible conditions that affect the paediatric patient and his/her eyes.
Just as children learn how to walk, talk, and eat, they also learn how to see. Neurologic development of vision occurs up until approximately age 12 years. Misalignment of the eyes (strabismus), uncorrected refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism), and asymmetry of refractive error (anisometropia) between the two eyes can negatively affect this development and cause amblyopia (“lazy eye”). Your paediatric ophthalmologist can help diagnose and treat these conditions early, and good vision can develop and be maintained.
Certain diseases elsewhere in the body, such as arthritis, can affect the eyes, and your eye specialist can address these as well.
The eye specialist, and our orthoptists, help make your child feel comfortable throughout the process of eye examination and will ensure that a visit to the eye doctor is a pleasant experience for your child.