Paediatric ophthalmology
What is paediatric ophthalmology?
A children's eye doctor, or paediatric ophthalmologist, diagnoses, prevents, and treats diseases that affect children's eyes and vision.
Good eye care is essential during childhood as many visual problems develop while the eyes are growing and may affect the child's future development.
Diseases that are treated with children's ophthalmology
The most common conditions which affect eyesight during childhood are:
- Developmental disorders, which are often diagnosed shortly after birth or within the first year of life
- Refractive/optical problems (short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism)
- amblyopia (commonly known as lazy eye)
- strabismus
- inflammation on the surface of or inside the eye, including allergic eye disease
- infections of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane which covers the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids
- Eyelid lesions
A child's learning and academic performance can be slightly affected by undiagnosed and untreated vision problems. Eye conditions can also affect children's quality of life by limiting their ability to take part in age-appropriate activities.
When to see a paediatric ophthalmologist
All children have a basic eye check at birth to make sure there is no developmental defect such as cataract or retinoblastoma. Most children then have a basic vision check at the age of 4-5 years, as part of the school vision screening programme.
If you have any concerns about your child's eyes or vision, you should arrange a sight test by your local optometrist. Children under the age of 5-6 years may require a specialist assessment by a paediatric ophthalmologist.
When should children have an eye test?
By Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor
2021-10-21
Having regular eye checks for your children is really important to ensure good eye health, as well as normal eye development. Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, a top ophthalmologist, gives her advice on when parents should have their children's eyes tested. See more
What is cerebral visual impairment and how does it affect children?
By Mr Richard Bowman
2021-10-20
Cerebral visual impairment ( CVI ) are visual problems that arise from the brain (50% of which is used to process vision) rather than the eyes. Mr Richard Bowman, a leading ophthalmic surgeon, explains what CVI is, its characteristics and how it may present. See more
Should my child be doing eye exercises?
By Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor
2021-10-18
In our day-to-day activities, our eyes have to work so we can see. Sometimes, there is a problem or a weakness in our eye muscles and this can cause vision problems, even in children. In this article, consultant ophthalmologist and eye expert Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor has explained what eye muscle weaknesses cause difficulty seeing something close-up for children and what parents can do to help. See more
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Mr John Brookes
OphthalmologyExpert in:
- Cataract surgery
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Glaucoma surgery
- Congenital glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
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Mr Richard Bowman
OphthalmologyExpert in:
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Strabismus (squint)
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Nystagmus
- Cerebral visual impairment (CVI)
- Cataracts in children
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Dr Annegret Dahlmann-Noor
OphthalmologyExpert in:
- Amblyopia
- Blepharitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Myopia
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Strabismus (squint)
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Mr Saurabh Jain
OphthalmologyExpert in:
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Strabismus (squint)
- Amblyopia
- Watery eyes
- Blepharitis
- Cataracts
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Mr Robert Henderson
OphthalmologyExpert in:
- Retinal detachment surgery
- Retinal detachment surgery
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Cataracts
- Cataracts in children
- Macular hole
- See all