Infants and children can suffer from eye issues just like adults do, so early diagnosis is key in order to prevent permanent damage to their eyesight.

Parents need to remain alert for signs that their child has difficulty with his or her vision, such as squinting, covering an eye, tilting of head or holding books close to face.

Strabismus

Strabismus occurs when one eye misaligns with or points in an opposite direction than its counterpart, usually as a genetic trait that is passed from parent to child. It can affect people of any age; though most commonly found among young children. Symptoms may persist or only present themselves occasionally – for instance during fatigued states or daydreaming sessions. It affects all six extraocular muscles controlling eye movement – all six extraocular muscles controlling straight vision must point at identical objects simultaneously for proper function; otherwise the brain receives two distinct images, thus losing depth perception.

Cross-eye, or esotropia, is the most prevalent form of strabismus among children and typically seen among younger ones. Esotropia often runs in families; children affected can favor one eye over the other which can eventually lead to amblyopia (lazy eye) development if left untreated; for this reason children with this issue should be evaluated and treated immediately in order to stop this condition from worsening further.

Other types of strabismus include walleyes, outward-turning eyes (exotropia) or eyes that turn upward or downward (hypertropia and hypotropia). These conditions tend to occur through injury or illness, often as a result of high or unequal refractive errors; hereditary factors; prematurity or spontaneous causes such as head trauma or thyroid conditions.

Treatment options for strabismus vary depending on its severity; options may include prescription glasses, vision therapy and surgery. Vision therapy and exercises may help strengthen muscles that converge the eyes to correct misalignments of their alignment. In some instances, a patch may be applied to one eye in order to force its weaker counterpart to do more “seeing”, in order to train it to get aligned correctly. In severe cases, however, surgery may be performed to loosen or tighten muscles to facilitate eye alignment. As it’s essential that strabismus be treated early, failure to do so could cause permanent damage to their visual system. A comprehensive eye exam should be performed by a pediatric specialist in order to assess your child’s eye health and determine the severity of strabismus.

Corneal Abrasions

The cornea of your eye is the clear dome-shaped part that focuses light. Unfortunately, its delicate surface can easily get scratched by foreign objects flying or sticking in them or by rubbing eyes too hard, wearing contact lenses too long, or exposure to sunlight. Corneal Abrasion symptoms include blurry vision, pain in the eye and feeling as though there’s something stuck there – leaving this untreated may lead to an ulcer, which should be treated using prescription eye drops with close medical supervision by a healthcare provider.

Most corneal abrasions are caused by small objects that scratch the corneal surface, such as dust particles, sand grains, fingernails or even paper edges. Cigarette smoke, eye rubbing and contact lens wear can also contribute to corneal abrasions.

Children suffering from chronic dry eye can become easily irritated, with their sclera becoming scratched or red. This condition, called Blepharitis, leads to inflammation and can result in redness, itching, burning or grainy sensation in their eyes – possibly being associated with systemic diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Wegener’s Granulomatosis or Relapsing Polychondritis.

Corneal abrasions may also result from eye infection. In such instances, your child will require antibiotic drops and a patch to keep her from rubbing the abrasion – this helps the epithelium repair itself more quickly and prevent ulceration of the wounds. It’s important to keep in mind that healing abrasions is best accomplished without constant contact between mother and daughter; otherwise they risk turning into ulcers rather than healing themselves naturally.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is characterized by increased eye pressure, optic nerve damage and vision loss. Peripheral vision is typically affected first; without treatment blindness may ensue. Primary infantile glaucoma affects young children. It may be hereditary or caused by other disorders like Sturge-Weber syndrome and congenital cataracts; its treatment needs differ significantly than for adults as children typically have lower tolerance to side effects of medications than adults, leading them to tear more easily or be light sensitive than their counterparts. Children may enlarge due to increased eye pressure causing symptoms like tearfulness or light sensitivity than adults do resulting in increased eye pressure causing symptoms like tearfulness and light sensitivity causing them harm as adults do when living with this disease.

As soon as a child develops glaucoma, it’s crucial that it’s treated early and tracked carefully – since once damaged to the optic nerve it cannot be reversed, treatment must focus on stopping vision loss while protecting remaining vision. Treatment typically combines medication and surgery in order to decrease intraocular pressure – usually by creating a bypass route for fluid called aqueous humor to leave via trabeculotomy or goniotomy procedures.

Children diagnosed with glaucoma typically exhibit elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), optic disc appearance, visual fields and binocular depth measurements, which should ideally be performed under slit lamp illumination with good color saturation and binocular depth. Automated equipment measuring the axial length (AL) of each eye may aid in making an accurate diagnosis and monitoring treatment responses; any increase in AL beyond normal limits suggests inadequate or untreated glaucoma treatment plans.

Adults whose childhood glaucoma was successfully managed report that its effects can have a severe negative effect on quality of life even with successful surgical management. They report feeling confused by the disease and anxious about its potential progression to blindness, leading to psychological and social problems including depression, anxiety and isolation. A recent study noted physical symptoms including fatigue, poor sleep and muscle spasms.

Amblyopia

Amblyopia, commonly referred to as lazy eye or crossed eyes, occurs when one eye does not develop good vision due to multiple factors. Infants and early childhood are especially prone to amblyopia resulting from its various causes; it’s best for parents and kids alike to visit an ophthalmologist regularly for checkups to detect any possible eye conditions that arise such as glaucoma that damages inner parts of eyes preventing proper development; other diseases, like strabismus or any condition blocking light entering from entering such as ptosis (droopy eyelid) or cataracts.

Strabismus is one of the primary causes of amblyopia in children, preventing one eye from receiving enough visual input and hindering its development normally. Other possible triggers may include cataracts, ptosis or eye muscle disorders as well as refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism (a curvature in either cornea or lens that distorts images).

Early amblyopia treatment typically relies on correcting its source. This may involve eyeglasses for infants or contact lenses for older children to correct amblyopia’s root cause; often using eyeglasses in infants. Occlusion therapy (patching the strong eye to force brain focus on visual input from weaker eye), however, may also be required in order to force visual input to be sent via weaker eye. Although compliance may prove challenging in children aged 8-13, over time this should lead to normal vision being developed in both eyes!

Early intervention for strabismus or amblyopia increases their likelihood of vision issues in adulthood, which makes it essential to schedule regular eye examinations beginning at birth and continuing throughout childhood with a pediatrician, ophthalmologist or optometrist to ensure both eyes are receiving clear images with equal depth focus while developing optimally.