Departments

Department of Strabismus & Paediatric Ophthalmology

Answers to common questions (FAQ)

1. At what age must I have my child's eyes examined for the first time?
Premature children which weighed under 1500gr when they were born must be examined approximately 4 weeks after birth to rule out or confirm the presence of prematurity retinopathy. These persons must be observed throughout their childhood.
Children with a hearing deficit, muscular problems and neurological deficits must be examined as soon as possible.
Children with a family history of strabismus or amblyopia must be examined at the age of 2. Normal children are examined by their pediatrician with regards to their vision's function and are referred to a special pediatric ophthalmologist, if there is a problem. The parents can seek the advice of a pediatric ophthalmologist if they believe that something is wrong with their child’s eyes.

2. Is there a problem if my child sits too close to the television set?
Most children like to sit close to the television set. If there are no other findings, this behavior is considered normal.

3. My child does not speak, nor does he know the letters and numbers. How will you examine him?
The vision's function quite often is determined indirectly by the child's behavior. There are tests which do not require a verbal confirmation on the part of the child. Many times, what is of interest is to compare the two eyes. In older children who speak, games or cards can be used to check their vision. Also, there are objective tests for the examination of vision at every age or for the need of corrective glasses where the child's answer is not required.
The complete anatomical examination of the bulb which will be performed by the pediatric ophthalmologist will reveal anatomical disorders which can affect the child's vision.

4. My child has strabismus. Will he get over the problem?
The most common cause for referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist is pseudostrabismus. Most children give the impression that their eyes point to their nose. This is because their head is still small and the big base of the nose hides part of the eye's white on the side of the nose. As the child grows, this impression of strabismus fades away and this led to the wrong theory that a child can get over the problem (pseudostrabismus). When however, there is a case of true strabismus, the child needs the help of a pediatric ophthalmologist since he or she will not get over the problem alone.

5. My child complains of headaches. Can this be caused by his eyes?
Headaches can be due to several reasons. The child's examination must start with his or her pediatrician. Most pediatricians will refer the child to a pediatric ophthalmologist to check for possible eye disorders. An ophthalmological evaluation may give some clues as to why the child suffers of headaches, despite the fact that most of the time, these headaches are not caused by ophthalmological problems.

6. I have hyperopia and my husband has myopia. Will my child need glasses?
The children's eyes are similar to those of their parents. If the parents wore glasses at nursery school, then the children must be examined before the age of 3, unless they have strabismus or there reduced vision is suspected, in which case they should be examined as soon as possible. School-age myopia usually begins in elementary school and is detected by the child or the pediatrician.

7. My child has difficulty in reading, is there a problem with his eyes?
Usually special psychologists deal with dyslexia and other relevant problems. Sometimes, an opthalmological evaluation is required to rule out eyesight problems which however are rarely there.