One of the most important organs that a mother should give special care to is the eyes, as any problem related to the eyes may result in vision problems that the child may suffer from for the rest of his life. One of the most important ways to discover if your child suffers from any eye problems is regular checkups, especially if there are hereditary cases of poor vision in the family.
In most cases, any eye disease can be easily diagnosed from birth, as there are some common cases among infants.
Here are some of these cases to help you discover any problem your child may suffer from
Blocked tear duct:
One of its most important symptoms is tear secretion in one or both eyes as a result of a blockage in the tear duct.
Treatment is usually done with drops and compresses. In most cases, recovery occurs before the age of one year, and in rare cases, the doctor may resort to surgery.
Strabismus:
Strabismus can be defined as a condition that makes the eyes misaligned and uncooperative when moving in different directions. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the movement of your child’s eyes together, especially after the fourth month.
If you notice any deviation in the movement of either eye or the eyes not moving together, you should consult a doctor because if there is a problem, early diagnosis is important for treatment. However, neglect may lead to what is called “lazy eye”, which results in weak vision in the deviated eye.
Nystagmus (eye tremor)
Nystagmus is a regular, involuntary, equal tremor of the eyes. In most cases, nystagmus is in one direction and usually horizontal, as the eye deviates and returns to its normal position. Nystagmus may be a symptom of a problem with the optic nerve or the lens of the eye, so you should see a doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
Some signs that may require you to visit an eye doctor:
- You notice a yellow or gray substance in your child’s pupil.
- Your baby never opens one eye.
- Your baby’s eyes don’t move normally. One moves and the other doesn’t, or one looks different from the other when it moves.
- Your child’s eyes may start giving you some messages that something is wrong with them and you may need to visit an ophthalmologist to confirm the presence of a problem and treat it if there is one.
- Swelling in one or both of your child’s eyes.
- Your baby’s eyelids are drooping.
- Your baby’s eyes are watering excessively.
- Presence of pus or crusts in the eye.
- Redness in the eye that lasts more than a few days.
- Your baby is over a month old, but lights, cell phones, etc. don’t catch his attention.
- Your baby’s eyes appear to be very sensitive to light.
- Your baby’s eyes do not follow a toy or object when it moves from side to side.
- Your baby tilts his head away from looking at things.