Paediatric ophthalmology

• In the days following the birth for infants whose screening examination by the paediatrician at the day-care centre reveals a suspicion of a major eye disease such as congenital cataract, retinoblastoma, congenital glaucoma or elevated refractory defects.
• Within the first year for the evaluation of more serious diseases such as congenital cataracts, congenital glaucoma and retinoblastoma, a tumour that affects children in the first two years of life.
• between 24-36 months of life to assess whether amblyopia, the so-called lazy eye, is present (2-3% of children under 5 years of age suffer from it) and intervene early to allow proper development of visual acuity.
• between 5-6 yearsof fundamental importance, before or during the first year of primary school

I recommend psychologically preparing the child before the eye examination so that he does not experience it as a stressful moment, explaining to him that the doctors will play games with him with drawings and lights, that it will be fun and not painful, and that at the end of the examination they will put drops in his eyes (cycloplegia to assess visual defects by dilating the pupil and releasing accommodation).
A positive attitude helps to create a relationship of trust between the child, the parents and the ophthalmologist and his staff for future check-ups. It is advisable to maintain an annual frequency even in the case of normal eyesight as the child's eye is constantly changing like the rest of the body.
If glasses or contact lenses are prescribed, it is important that they are used constantly.
The lenses of the spectacles must be made of polycarbonate to withstand the very frequent shocks at this age.
In special cases such as unilateral high myopia that cannot be corrected with contact lenses, it may be resolvable from the age of 7 onwards with laser refractive surgery.

Myopia, astigmatism, hypermetropia associated with possible strabismus should be followed up by the ophthalmologist frequently to optimise visual and learning development at school.