Children can be afflicted by many eye diseases. More commonly, children may need glasses to see more clearly or intervention for misaligned eyes (strabismus) or poor visual development in one eye (amblyopia).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF EYE PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

Any of the following signs or symptoms may be indicative of a number of serious eye problems in children. If your child experiences any of the following, see your eye doctor as soon as possible:  

• Pain in or around the eye 
• One eye turns in toward the nose or wanders out toward the ear, either constantly or occasionally                    
• Eyes that do not appear to look in the same direction 
• Child tilts or turns head when looking intently 
• One eye closes occasionally, especially when the child is outside 
• Eyes shake or vibrate 
• Child covers one eye to look at things 
• Squints, or squeezes eyes nearly closed, to see 
• Cannot identify things across the room or farther away 
• Frequent rubbing of eye 
• Discharge from eyes (stuck together in the morning) 
• Droopy eyelids 
• A white pupil in one or both eyes 
• Eyes tearing or wet-looking, when not crying 
• Any swelling or lump in or around the eyes or eyelids 
• Any difference in size, shape or color of any part of the eye (i.e. pupil) or eyelids 
• Redness of the eye 
• Functionally one-eyed 

Paediatric Ophalmology services are available at Rods and Cones