ROP(Retinopathy of Prematurity) -like diseases will cause irreversible damage to the vision. Because children are born with immature visual systems and for normal vision to develop, they need clear images to be transmitted to a higher visual center. Failure of normal visual maturation cannot be corrected in adult life. So, there is a level of urgency about treating childhood eye diseases that don’t necessarily apply to adults. Other vision-threatening and in fact life-threatening conditions retinoblastoma (eye cancer) also needed to be detected early and treated early. Retinoblastoma may present initially with mild symptoms like watering, redness, sometimes squint. This also can be detected only by a complete eye examination by an ophthalmologist.
So, it’s always better to get a routine check-up done by a certified doctor even if there are any mild symptoms. Other issues like simple refractive errors can also be presented early in life and if not detected and treated on time can lead to poor vision throughout life. Unfortunately, these issues will not have any major symptoms and young kids can’t complain about blurred vision and they will be carried away with the impression that whatever they are seeing is the clear image. So, it’s on parents to get a check-up done at the right age and make sure their visual milestones are appropriate. So, every child should have at least one eye check-up before 1 year of age and then at 3-4 yrs of age and yearly once until 15 yrs.
How blindness is preventable.
The major causes for preventable blindness are
- Corneal infections due to measles and vitamin A deficiency, use of traditional medicines.
- And curable problems like
- ROP
- Retinoblastoma
- Hereditary retinal disorders
- Refractive errors
So, in order to tackle these making sure every child gets complete immunization and vitamin A supplementation according to the guidelines is the first step. To prevent hereditary retinal disorders, proper genetic counseling and genetic analysis before conception are important. Even consanguineous marriages are also a major cause of these hereditary diseases. So proper counseling and awareness are important.
Coming to curable diseases
Every child if gets an eye check-up at birth. A simple test called the red reflex test which can be done by any graduate doctor / Paediatrician itself can detect severe conditions immediately at birth that need further evaluation by a specialist.
And every child getting an eye check before one year of age and at 3-4 yrs of check plays a major role in preventing childhood blindness.
Also Read: Prevention Of Blindness
Need for professional help!
Yes, though many conditions can be detected at the initial assessment by a graduate doctor or Paediatrician further evaluation and treatment needs a specialist trained to tackle them.
A specialist is one who undertakes a special training/fellowship program after their post-graduation especially to handle eye issues in infants and kids.
Retinal lasers and surgeries, retinoblastoma treatment, corneal surgeries, amblyopia management, needs a specialist, skilled and trained professional who can tackle them.
Good screening initially followed by treatment by a specialist doctor is mandatory to combat this global issue.
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