Pediatric Vision Care

Jeffrey Hunter, M.D. is the only fellowship-trained strabismus ophthalmologist in East Texas.  Dr. Hunter specializes in pediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma, strabismus, amblyopia, and eye muscle surgery, among many other eye conditions for both children and adults, starting from infants on up.

Strabismus

Strabismus is a condition that interferes with binocular (both eyes) vision when the eyes do not properly align with each other.  Strabismus, also commonly known as cross-eyed, affects approximately 4% of children.  Treatment should be started as early as possible to ensure the best possible vision for your child.  Treatment may include glasses, contacts, vision therapy or eye muscle surgery.

Amblyopia

Amblyopia – is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal vision development in infancy or childhood.  While problems are not obvious, vision loss occurs when stimulation of the nerve pathway between the brain and eye is not functioning correctly. As a result, the brain favors one eye, usually due to poor vision in the other eye.  This condition is commonly known as “lazy eye” and is the leading cause of vision loss among children.  Treatments for amblyopia include glasses or contacts, eye patch or eye drop therapy.

Children’s Eye Injuries

Children who have good vision in only one eye should wear safety glasses for protection at all times, even if they do not need glasses otherwise.

Vision care for children generally addresses two categories,  injuries or physical defects.  Accidental injuries cause vision loss in far too many cases, and more than half of the victims of eye injuries are children.  The answer is prevention. And when there are accidental injuries, the right kind of first aid or emergency care is an essential first step. Hospital emergency rooms or trauma centers are usually able to provide emergency medical care for eye injuries, but referral to an ophthalmologist should be made to rule out any other complications. Remember, serious eye injuries are not immediately obvious.

Children’s Eye Glasses

The most common vision problems treated with eyeglasses are:

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is inherited and often discovered in children when they are eight to twelve years old. A myopic eye is longer than a normal eye, where light rays focus in front of the retina causing close objects to look clear, but distant objects to appear blurred.

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is caused by light entering the eye and focusing at the back of the retina. With hyperopia, the hyperopic eye is a shorter than a normal eye. Older people who are farsighted can see far away objects better than those close at hand. Even though children have no problems seeing objects up close or at a distance, most children are a little farsighted. Correction of Hyperopia is necessary if decreased vision or cross-eyes occurs in young people.

Astigmatism occurs when light rays enter the eyes and focus at different places on the retina. With a normal eye the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye, is round like a basketball. If you have astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football.

Can babies wear eyeglasses?
Of course! There is a test for babies’ eyes even before they can give a verbal response. The ophthalmologist will dilate the baby’s eyes and look inside with special instruments that determine the proper eyeglass prescription.

Which glasses are best for children?
We recommend plastic lenses and plastic frames. Especially, frames designed with active children in mind. Children may also need additional pads or straps to keep the glasses properly positioned.