Routine check-ups in children start in the newborn period and continue until the age of 18. Especially in the first month of the newborn period, eye examination is essential for the detection of congenital cataracts, strabismus, glaucoma, eyelid anomalies, and for the early detection of canal blockages. The baby’s 6th month and 1st year check-up should again be performed by an ophthalmologist, and the baby’s eye contact, eye movements, eye numbers, red reflex test and whether there is an anomaly in the eyelids should be evaluated. One of the main purposes of these examinations is to protect the baby from amblyopia. Others include early diagnosis, detecting congenital cataracts, glaucoma, and lesions occupying space within the vitreous, and being able to intervene in a timely manner.

Eye Problems in Childhood

Many health problems may be hereditary.

  • Do eyes sometimes squint? Is there a squint in the eyes?
  • Does he say he can’t see well, rubs his eyes or blinks a lot?
  • Does he come home from school tired, has a headache or is he dizzy?
  • Can’t read for long periods, loses his line, reads the same word more than once?
  • Does the teacher say he mixes up letters or can’t remember what he reads?

Children with these complaints should be taken to an eye doctor.

How is an eye exam done in children?

What does an eye doctor do?

  • Measures the child’s distance and near vision defects. While doing this, it uses pictures for preschool children and letters from the age of 6 onwards.
  • It evaluates whether the child has a deviation.
  • It evaluates whether there is a problem that prevents vision (such as congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma).
  • It may be necessary to dilate the pupil of the child by putting drops in the eye and take measurements again.

What should be considered during and after the drop examination?

If your doctor deems it necessary may want to examine your child by giving them drops. This is a type of examination performed to eliminate the adaptation process that some children call accommodation and only reach their real numbers. Your child will not be hurt while the drops are being given.

The drop examinations of children with flu and fever should be postponed until these conditions pass.

What is amblyopia?

Amblyopia is a disorder that occurs as a result of the failure of the visual center in the brain to develop from an early age due to insufficient visual stimuli reaching it. If we summarize the causes of amblyopia under a few main headings;

  1. Amblyopia due to refractive error is the most common group. A high number in one eye causes blurring of vision in that eye. Visual stimuli from two different eyes cause confusion in the visual center and the brain prefers to perceive the clearer vision. This is not a conscious choice, it is actually just a way the brain uses to survive. However, the fact that stimuli from the same eye are constantly used within a developing and growing system causes the visual system to be stimulated unilaterally. As the visual center in the brain is stimulated, the networks between the neurons that provide vision will be triggered and vision will gradually increase. Therefore, the visual center on the side that the eye with refractive error and blurred vision cannot stimulate remains behind in development. This means that over time, the vision on the stimulated side gradually increases but the vision on the side that cannot be stimulated does not develop. Visual amblyopia, which can be caught and treated at an early age, allows the perception of depth and three dimensions in vision.
  2. Another reason is that the eye remains closed from the time the baby is first born. This can be thought of as not enough sunlight coming through a closed window. The closed condition is most commonly seen in cases of congenital eyelid droop, which we call congenital ptosis. Less frequently, the same problem can develop in congenital or later-developing eyelid masses located on the eyelid. Since the eyelid is droopy and the baby cannot lift it even if they want to, that eye does not receive enough visual stimuli and since the visual center in the brain is not stimulated enough, amblyopia may develop due to the reasons we explained above. Therefore, droopy eyelids should not be perceived as just an aesthetic problem. Babies should also be evaluated for ammiopia (Lazy Vision).
  3. Strabismus is another