Pediatric Ophthalmology

Pediatric ophthalmology describes a sub-specialty field of medicine, under regular ophthalmology, which deals with the vision care of children, eye diseases and visual development in children, from infancy until adolescents.

As children must absorb new information all the time, the eyes serve as the 'portal' through which the child acquires knowledge and learns new things in life; the eyes are essentially an extremely important organ taking part in the child's development. During childhood (often after birth), children might develop different conditions in the eye such as strabismus (squint), cataractA clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light (Source: Wikipedia)., intraocular pressure (glaucoma), tumors of the retina or the eye socket and other disorders. As in other medical fields, there are also differences in the approach and treatment of eye problems in children and adults.

As the practice of ophthalmology centers on the medical roots of eye troubles, ophthalmologists examine our eyes aiming to identify and then solve the underlying problems that are causing the eye trouble. Ophthalmologists may often choose an expertise to focus on, as some may choose pediatric eye care, treating children suffering from eye afflictions.

Pediatric Ophthalmology Treatment Video

A pediatric ophthalmologist specializes in treating the eye problems of infants through adolescents, as these doctors acquire training both in pediatrics and ophthalmology. Their main focus is on the development of the child's visual system and diseases that can disrupt this process. Pediatric ophthalmologists are qualified in many different methods of eye treatments including eye surgery (cataracts or blocked tear ducts), patches, eye drops, and medication for issues like inflammation, conjunctivitisInflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids), most commonly due to an infection or allergic reaction (Source: Wikipedia). and lazy eye. In addition to issues directly concerning the eyes, a pediatric ophthalmologist may also treat and evaluate children with different conditions such as head turns, head tilts or preferred head postures (a stiff neck) to examine the cause of these problems.

Pediatric ophthalmologists differ from regular ophthalmologist in that they complete an additional fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, as opposed to only going through the regular internship and residency in ophthalmology. In addition to this, a pediatric ophthalmologist must know how to handle children very well as many of them usually aren't very cooperative during such tests, especially infants.

Pediatric Ophthalmology Abroad

If your child is in need of special eye treatments or eye surgery, TicketMed will be happy to assist you in the process of researching pediatric eye treatments abroad. We are affiliated with top pediatrics eye specialists and clinics. Contact us or ask for a quote.