Best Pediatric Ophthalmologist in Ahmedabad

Pediatric Ophthalmology: Expert Eye Care for Children

Pediatric ophthalmology is a specialized branch of ophthalmology focused on diagnosing, treating, and managing eye diseases, vision disorders, and visual development in children. Many childhood learning difficulties, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), are linked to undiagnosed vision problems. Early eye checkups and treatment can significantly improve a child's academic performance and overall well-being. Pediatric ophthalmologists specialize in treating serious eye conditions, infections, and injuries in children. They also provide long-term care for vision issues related to conditions like juvenile arthritis and Type 1 diabetes, ensuring optimal eye health from infancy to adolescence. Regular pediatric eye exams are essential for detecting and addressing vision problems early. Schedule a consultation today to protect your child’s vision and future!

What Are the Common Signs That Your Child Needs Attention?

Undetected vision problems can significantly impact your child's academic performance, daily activities, and social interactions, often leading to difficulties in reading, writing, and learning. Understanding children's eye health is crucial for early detection and treatment, as recognizing the warning signs of vision issues can help ensure timely intervention with the right eye care solutions, preventing long-term complications.

Squinting

Squinting may be a sign that your child has a refractive error, affecting how their eyes focus on images and possibly requiring glasses. By squinting, they may temporarily enhance focus and clarity, compensating for underlying vision issues. Regular eye checkups can help detect and correct such problems early.

Tilting the Head or Covering One Eye: A Sign of Vision Issues

Your child may cover one eye or tilt their head to adjust their vision angle for better clarity. This could indicate misaligned eyes or amblyopia (lazy eye), one of the most common childhood eye disorders. Amblyopia often goes undetected until later stages unless regular eye checkups are conducted, highlighting the importance of early detection and treatment.

Sitting Too Close to Screens or Holding Devices Too Near the Eyes

All of these could be signs of poor vision. Myopia, or nearsightedness, causes clear vision up close but blurred vision at a distance. Children with myopia often bring objects closer to see them more clearly, as this enlarges and sharpens the image. Regular eye checkups can help detect and manage vision problems early.

Excessive Eye Rubbing

Excessive eye rubbing may be a sign of eye fatigue or strain, indicating potential vision problems. It can also be associated with conditions like keratoconus, a progressive disorder where the cornea changes from a round to a cone shape, affecting vision clarity. Regular eye checkups can help detect and manage such issues early.

Frequent Headaches or Eye Pain

If your child frequently complains of eye pain or headaches by the end of the day, they may be straining their eyes to compensate for blurred vision. This could indicate an underlying vision problem that requires evaluation by an eye specialist. Regular eye exams can help identify and address such issues early.

Difficulty Concentrating on Schoolwork

Because children must quickly and accurately shift their visual focus between distant and near objects—such as chalkboards, computers, textbooks, and tablets—vision problems can often appear as difficulty focusing on schoolwork.

How can we control myopia?

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common vision condition that can worsen over time, but several effective strategies can help slow its progression and maintain healthy eyesight. A combined treatment approach, including specialized myopia-control lenses such as ortho-k (orthokeratology) lenses or multifocal lenses, along with low-dose atropine eye drops, has been proven to reduce myopia progression by up to 70%. Additionally, regular eye checkups, increased outdoor activities, and limited screen time play a crucial role in preserving vision and preventing further deterioration. Taking proactive steps to manage myopia can significantly improve long-term eye health and reduce the risk of severe complications.

Eye drops

Studies show that 0.01% atropine can reduce myopia progression by up to 60% in children under 12.

Myopia-Control Glasses and Lenses

Stellest and MyoSmart myopia-control lenses, available in India, can reduce myopia progression by up to 65% in all age groups.

Cataracts & Your Child: Early Detection, Risks, and Treatment

Cataracts are commonly associated with aging, but they can also affect babies and young children, impacting their vision development. Pediatric cataracts can be congenital (present at birth) or juvenile (developing in early childhood). Early detection and treatment are essential, as delaying intervention can lead to lazy eye (amblyopia), blurred vision, or permanent vision loss.

Children with a family history of childhood cataracts are at a higher risk and should undergo regular eye checkups to ensure early diagnosis. Timely treatment, including surgery or corrective lenses, can help restore clear vision and prevent long-term complications. If you notice any signs of cloudy vision or abnormal eye movements in your child, consult a pediatric ophthalmologist immediately.

Congenital Cataract

Found in newborn babies
The main causes of congenital cataract are genetic disorders (like Down’s Syndrome) and infections during pregnancy (like measles and rubella).

Juvenile Cataract

Develops in toddlers or young children
The main cause of Juvenile Cataract is diabetes at an early age, eye trauma, infection by a parasite, or galactosaemia (a condition where the sugar in milk cannot be broken down by the body).

Symptoms of Cataracts in Children

Detecting cataracts in young children can be challenging, as symptoms may not be immediately noticeable. If your child has difficulty recognizing or following people, it could be a warning sign of a vision problem. Below are some common signs of cataracts in children:

White Reflex Noticed by Parents

Blurry or Poor Vision

Rapid, Uncontrolled Eye Movements (Nystagmus)

Wandering or Searching Eye Movements

Treatment for Cataracts in Children

Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is the only effective treatment for childhood cataracts, and early intervention leads to better outcomes. During the procedure, your child will be placed under general anesthesia to ensure they remain asleep and pain-free, with a required nil-by-mouth period of at least 12 hours before surgery. The surgery is quick, safe, and highly effective, often restoring clear vision by removing the cloudy lens. Depending on the case, the doctor may implant an intraocular lens (IOL) as a permanent replacement or prescribe glasses or contact lenses if an IOL is not used. Regular follow-ups with a pediatric ophthalmologist are essential to ensure proper healing and monitor vision development.
Your child’s doctor will determine the best treatment approach based on factors such as age, the type of cataract, and any pre-existing eye conditions.

Post-Surgery Precautions for Cataract in Children

A 2-3 day hospitalization is usually required after cataract surgery to allow proper healing from general anesthesia and to monitor the child’s initial recovery.
Regular eye checkups are essential after surgery, with the frequency depending on the severity of the condition and the child’s recovery progress.
Reduce the risk of injury by avoiding outdoor activities, sports, and rough play for 4-6 weeks to ensure proper healing and prevent complications.
Regardless of the type of surgery, wearing prescribed glasses or contact lenses is essential to support vision correction and aid in proper visual development.

Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) in Children

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a vision condition where one eye is significantly weaker than the other, commonly affecting children. Although the affected eye may appear normal, it has reduced vision due to a weaker connection between the eye and the brain. Over time, the brain favors the clearer image from the stronger eye while ignoring the blurry one, further weakening the lazy eye. In rare cases, both eyes may be affected from an early age. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to improving vision and preventing long-term impairment.

How to Determine if Your Child Has a Lazy Eye?

Lazy eye is closely linked to early eye development, with children under 8 years old being at the highest risk. Since symptoms can be subtle, it’s essential to watch for eye misalignment or wandering eyes. Regular eye checkups are crucial, especially if there’s a family history of vision issues or other risk factors. Consult a pediatric eye doctor for early detection and treatment.

A family history of weak eyesight may increase your risk of vision problems.

A family history of lazy eye may increase your child's risk of developing the condition.

Your child was born prematurely.

Your child has had a cataract.

You notice a squint (eyes crossing or pointing in different directions).

There is a significant difference in refractive power (prescription) between the eyes.

Your child has ptosis (a droopy eyelid), which may result from trauma, aging, or medical conditions.

Your child struggles to read subtitles on TV or signs outdoors.

You can check for lazy eye by covering each eye one at a time. If your child shows reluctance or discomfort when the stronger eye is covered, it may indicate that the other eye is weaker. This simple test can help identify vision imbalances, but a professional eye exam is recommended for accurate diagnosis and early treatment.

Revital Vision Therapy at Shiv Jyoti Eye Hospital

At Shiv Jyoti Eye Hospital, we offer RevitalVision Therapy, the only FDA-approved treatment for adult amblyopia (age 9+). When patching therapy is no longer effective, RevitalVision helps improve vision significantly. Clinical studies show that just 20 hours of RevitalVision therapy in adults can provide the same vision improvement as 500 hours of patching in children. Experience a proven, non-invasive solution for better visual performance today!

Easier reading of subtitles on TV
Better readability of street signs
Improved ability to recognize faces from a distance and enhanced night vision
Enhanced stereo and binocular vision functions

Effective Treatments for Squint

At Shiv Jyoti Eye Hospital, we offer the best possible treatment for squint. Early intervention is crucial to prevent permanent vision loss. Most treatments require regular follow-ups for optimal results. If detected later in life, vision improvement may be limited, but squint correction surgery can effectively straighten the eyes for a more natural appearance.

Spectacles

When the squint is caused by uncorrected refractive errors, wearing spectacles will correct the same. Patients may develop vision after squint surgery, only if treated in early stages else, chances of recovery in visual loss is difficult. Hence, one might have to opt for cosmetic surgery in later stages.

Eye Exercises

When the squint is minor and occurs transiently, <!–particular–> specific exercises can help to strengthen the eye muscles there by the squint.

Squint Surgery

Surgery is recommended to straighten the eyes, so that they point in the same direction.

Patch Therapy

Patch therapy is a treatment where one eye is covered to encourage the use of the weaker eye. It is most effective in helping young children strengthen an under-developed eye. The earlier the treatment begins, stronger the weaker eye becomes. This is commonly used to treat lazy eye and squint.

Revital Vision

Revital Vision treatment is used in later stages to improve the vision to some extent.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in Children: Causes & Care

“Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a serious eye condition caused by abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina, primarily affecting premature or low-birth-weight infants. In full-term babies, retinal blood vessels develop completely a few weeks before birth. However, in premature infants, this process remains incomplete, increasing the risk of abnormal blood vessel branching, which leads to ROP.

In India, ROP affects 38% to 51.9% of premature babies, with nearly 80% to 100% of newborns weighing less than 900 grams or born before 25 weeks at risk. With advancements in neonatal intensive care (NICU), survival rates have improved, but awareness among medical professionals remains low. As a result, preventable blindness due to untreated ROP continues to be a significant concern, creating a lifelong socio-economic burden. Regular eye screenings and early intervention are crucial in preventing irreversible vision loss in affected infants.”

Is Your Child at Risk for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)?

If your baby was born weighing less than 2000 grams or before 36 weeks of gestation, a retinal examination is essential. Premature infants with severe perinatal conditions such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), sepsis, blood transfusions, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and frequent apneic episodes are at a higher risk of developing Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Early screening is crucial for timely intervention and vision preservation.

When Should You Consult a Doctor for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)?

As a parent, it’s crucial to follow a 30-day strategy for babies born with very low birth weight (<1200 grams) or those with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks. A retinal examination should be conducted on or before the 30th day of life, ideally as soon as possible after birth, to ensure early detection and intervention for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).

Pediatric Ophthalmology