Children’s Vision
Children with uncorrected vision conditions or eye health problems face many barriers in life … academically … socially … and athletically. High-quality eye care can break down these barriers and help enable your children to reach their highest potential.
Vision doesn’t just happen. A child’s brain learns how to use eyes to see, just like it learns how to use legs to walk or a mouth to form words. The longer a vision problem goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more a child’s brain learns to accommodate the vision problem.
That’s why a comprehensive eye examination is so important for children. Early detection and treatment provide the very best opportunity to correct vision problems, so your child can learn to see clearly. Make sure your child has the best possible tools to learn successfully.
Most Common Childhood Vision Problems
Crossed Eyes (strabismus)
Strabismus occurs when the eyes do not line up or they are crossed. One eye, however, usually remains straight at any given time. Common forms of strabismus include:
- Esotropia – one eye turns inward toward the nose
- Exotropia – one eye turns out; also called wall-eyed
- Hypertropia – one eye turns up
- Hypotropia – one eye turns down
If detected early in life, strabismus can be treated and even reversed. If left untreated strabismus can cause amblyopia.
What are the risk factors for strabismus?
- Family history of strabismus
- Having a significant amount of uncorrected farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Disabilities such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy
- Stroke or head injury
Lazy Eye (amblyopia)
Amblyopia — often called lazy eye — is a problem that is common in children.
Amblyopia is a result of the brain and the eyes not working together. The brain ignores visual information from one eye, which causes problems with vision development.
Treatment for amblyopia works well if the condition is found early. If untreated, amblyopia causes permanent vision loss.
Risk factors for amblyopia include a difference in correction between the two eyes that is undiagnosed and uncorrected, where the worse eye develops amblyopia because it is blurry compared to the good eye, another good reason for a preschool eye exam.