Ophthalmologist offers a look at children’s eye health

From the first moments a child interacts with a parent or a caregiver — whether they are focusing on a parent’s face or tracking a favorite toy — kids are using visual cues to observe their new world.

According to Jennifer A. Galvin, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon at Endeavor Health, the majority of a child’s visual system develops in the first decade of life. And in the first five years of life, each year of visual development is critical.

“My goal is to make sure that every child has the best possible vision, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential. I strive to communicate with parents and families about what methods of treatment will help and answer all questions,” said Dr. Galvin.

“I love seeing how an improvement in a child’s visual development helps them learn in school and also develop a wide range of talents — music, dance, sports, art,” she added.

Evaluation and diagnosis

Often the first eye exam is a vision screening in the pediatrician’s office and, based on those results, some children are referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist for a wide range of ophthalmic concerns. Common reasons for referral include: having a failed vision screening test, the eye turning inward or outward, eye movement/tracking abnormalities or increased tearing since birth.

The Endeavor Health team, including Dr. Galvin, specializes in treating a wide range of pediatric ophthalmologic conditions. Some common pediatric vision issues include:

• Nearsightedness. A common reason to need glasses is myopia (nearsightedness). If your school-age child is squinting when looking at objects in the distance or needs to sit closer to see the white board/smart board at school, glasses for myopia correction often are needed to improve visual acuity at distance.
• Tearing. Another issue is an infant with tearing since birth. Often, the tearing (epiphora) improves and resolves nearer to 12-15 months of age. But it is important for parents to learn how to perform the nasolacrimal duct massage to help resolve the issue, and for their child to have a complete eye exam.
• Eye turning inward/outward. A third example is a toddler with an eye turning inward or outward (strabismus). A parent may notice the eye turn or tracking abnormalities every day. It is important to evaluate the eye misalignment and to determine if their child needs treatment with glasses and/or treatment with patching to prevent decreased vision (amblyopia).  

The longer a vision problem goes undetected, the more difficult it can be to treat. Whether your child is a newborn, infant, toddler or teenager, a pediatric ophthalmologist can evaluate your child’s vision and make a diagnosis for the overall health of your child’s eyes.

Treatment plan and communication

Although there are overlaps, not all pediatric vision issues mimic adult expectations, said Dr. Galvin. Depending on the issue, there are a wide range of treatments available.

• Glasses (spectacles) are prescribed to improve vision in one or both eyes.
• Patching (occlusion) over the better seeing eye are used to improve the visual development of the fellow eye with amblyopia and/or to improve/decrease the eye turning inward/outward (strabismus).
• Glasses and patching are used to improve both visual development (prevent amblyopia) and improve/decrease eye turning inward/outward (strabismus).

“The No. 1 piece of advice that I want to offer to our pediatric patients’ parents and caregivers is to communicate with their doctor about their concerns and questions about their child’s eye condition,” Dr. Galvin said.

“This includes the ophthalmic exam findings, diagnosis and treatment plan. In this way, I work closely with parents and caregivers to ensure their child has a best outcome in their ophthalmic condition and visual development.”