BENGALURU: A child squinting to see the blackboard, holding a book too close or showing signs of a lazy eye may need an eye check-up. Such cues can indicate vision problems that children may not recognise or report, say ophthalmologists, who advise parents to make regular eye examinations part of their children’s healthcare.
Early treatment is important while the visual system is still developing, ophthalmologists said. The earlier we treat these conditions, the better,” said Dr Mayanka Nayak, consultant ophthalmologist, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital. “The burden is definitely increasing, especially in terms of myopia. Nowadays, parents are more tuned to even the smallest concern the child may have and do come up to show it. At the same time, it is a digital world and everything is technology-based, so we’re seeing a significant increase in myopia cases, especially after Covid. “Even when the child doesn’t have symptoms, you may be missing something, especially in terms of squint and lazy eye. I do see some children coming in late. The actual deviation or blurring complaint may come in later, but the squint may have been there from childhood. Persistent itching is another concern, as repeated eye rubbing can damage the cornea and contribute to keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea bulges into a cone shape. Watering, too, should not always be dismissed as harmless.
That is forming the major chunk of our paediatric disorders today,” said Dr Samhita HR, HOD-oculoplasty and senior consultant-paediatric & squint, Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital.