Pediatric Eye Care

Protecting Your Child’s Eyes

You want your children’s eyes to be as healthy as possible. That’s why it is so important to watch out for warning signs that might indicate vision problems.

Common eye conditions that occur in children include: Amblyopia, Strabismus, Infantile Cataract, Conjunctivitis and Dacryocystitis.

Amblyopia: Also known as lazy eye, is a common vision problem in children. It occurs when one eye sees significantly better than the other. The most common symptoms are favoring one eye, or bumping into things on one side. It is often hard to diagnose without an eye exam.

Strabismus: This is a crossing or turning of one of the eyes. It isn’t the same as lazy eye, but strabismus can cause lazy eye.

Infantile Cataract: This gradual clouding of the eye’s lens can occur in newborn babies.

Conjunctivitis: If your child’s eyelid looks red or swollen, he or she may have conjunctivitis or pink eye. You might also notice a white, yellow or green discharge from the eye.

Dacryocystitis: This condition, usually caused by blocked tear ducts, can cause teary or watery eyes and redness in the corner of the eye.

Some other signs that your child may have a vision problem include:

• Rubbing his or her eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Squinting
• Difficulty focusing or following an object with the eyes
• Excessive blinking