Good eyesight plays a crucial role in setting your child up for success. Children depend on their vision to help them assess their surroundings and gain knowledge about the world around them.
Vision problems can impact a child’s development. If we catch potential problems early on, we are better able to treat or manage them effectively, safeguarding your child’s vision.
Some vision problems are more likely to develop during childhood than others. These include:
Strabismus is a condition that causes the eyes to become misaligned and point in different directions. This condition affects around 4% of all children in the United States and may persist (your child’s eyes are always misaligned) or occur sporadically (your child’s eyes are only misaligned sometimes).
Infantile esotropia is a type of strabismus that appears in the first 6 months of your child’s life and is typically caused by communication issues between the brain and the eye muscles. This form of strabismus is usually treated with surgery.
If your child’s eyes turn inwards after they are 2 years old, they may have a condition called accommodative esotropia. If their eyes turn outwards, they may have exotropia. This condition can be managed using prescription glasses or contact lenses.
If your child’s vision does not develop at the same rate in both eyes, they may develop amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” Amblyopia may also be caused by strabismus or refractive errors.
Amblyopia, if caught early, can be effectively treated so your child can enjoy clear vision.
Myopia is a refractive error that affects distance vision. Children with unaddressed myopia may have trouble seeing the blackboard clearly, which can impact their ability to learn. Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long, or the back of the eyeball is too steep, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of on it. This causes distant objects to appear blurry.
Patients with myopia can enjoy clear vision by wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses. Additionally, atropine eye drops or multifocal contact lenses may help to slow the progression of myopia in some children.
If your child exhibits the following symptoms, please request an appointment as soon as possible:
North Tustin Ave Optometric Center
La Paz Optometric Center
Mission Viejo Optometric Center
