As we emerge from the holiday season and enter the depths of mid-winter, the team at University Children's Eye Center wanted to take a moment to thank the community we serve. Our commitment to providing the highest quality pediatric eye care remains steadfast, as we continue to invest in advanced technologies and personalized treatments for our young patients. This season, we celebrate not only the gift of sight but also the wonderful network of children, parents, family, and loved ones that give meaning and fulfillment to everything we do.
What Should Parents Not Get Their Kids for the Holidays?
The holidays are still fresh in our minds, and, with them, a festive spirit that families look forward to each year. For many households in America, this joyful season is often highlighted by the cherished tradition of exchanging gifts. That being said . . . are there any gifts that parents might want to avoid, especially from an ophthalmological standpoint? We polled the doctors at University Children's Eye Center. Check out the video for their answers!
Don't Over-Indulge This Winter: Your Eyes Will Thank You!
The early years of a child’s life are crucial for visual development. During this formative period, children experience rapid growth and development in multiple domains, including their vision. Key milestones, such as tracking moving objects and recognizing faces, are best achieved when children receive the appropriate stimuli and care. Parents and caregivers play a critical role in supporting this development by providing a nurturing environment that encourages visual exploration and engagement.
Proper nutrition during these early years can significantly impact eye health and help prevent potential eye problems. Nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E play a vital role in maintaining optimal eye function. Omega 3 fatty acids found in certain fish, nuts and seeds are also very important to ocular health. Incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables into a child's diet can promote healthy vision, ensuring that developing eyes receive the necessary support. Meanwhile, processed foods like cookies, chips and crackers should be limited. Fostering healthy eating habits from a young age sets the foundation for lifelong wellness.
Good eye health is essential for facilitating learning, social interaction, and overall growth. Children with healthy vision are better equipped to engage in educational activities and develop critical skills necessary for their academic journey. Furthermore, clear vision aids in building confidence during social interactions, helping children form friendships and navigate their environments with ease. By prioritizing nutrition and eye health, we can help ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
Understanding Amblyopia
Amblyopia or “lazy eye” is reduced vision in one or both eyes. It can occur even while wearing the best corrective glasses, and is not due directly to any structural abnormality of the eye itself. It is caused by an abnormal experience of vision in one or both eyes at a very young age, typically from birth to age 9, with younger onset being more severe. Anything that causes the eye(s) of a young child or infant to get a distorted view of the world can cause amblyopia, by interrupting how the young visual brain and eye(s) are learning to work together and develop. It typically affects central vision.
Amblyopia generally falls into one of three categories:
Refractive: Caused by the image being blurry because the eye is out of focus due to myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), or astigmatism (a curvature of the cornea or lens that distorts images).
Strabismic: Caused by any misalignment of the eyes, in which one eye is crossed, drifting outwards, going up, or down.
Deprivational: Caused by anything which blocks the entrance of proper light into the eye, like ptosis (droopy eyelid), a cataract (cloudy internal lens), tumors or abnormalities of the optic nerve or retina.
Amblyopia is treatable when diagnosed properly at a young age by a skilled pediatric eye care professional. Pediatric practices have implemented sophisticated automatic screening techniques to be able to predict which children are at risk for developing amblyopia. These children are then referred for a fully dilated medical exam of the eyes to look for amblyopia or its risk factors. Family history of early childhood glasses (before age 6), patching therapy, and eye muscle surgery is an important risk factor for amblyopia, and children of these families should have a thorough eye exam before the age of two.
Treatment of amblyopia includes correcting for the root cause, primarily with glasses, which may be prescribed at any age, including for affected infants. Sometimes, surgery of the muscles, eyelids, or the lens, is needed. Patching of the stronger eye with an eye patch, or blurring of the stronger eye with a special eye drop (Atropine 1%), is often necessary to help strengthen the vision of an amblyopic eye. Amblyopia treatment can go on for many years, until the child is 9, and requires frequent medical check ups (every 2-6 months, depending on severity and age) in order to be effective.
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