Paediatric ophthalmology

Many eye diseases of adults can also develop during infancy such as cataracts or glaucoma, macular alterations, strabismus, corneal alterations as well as infections and tumours.

However, there is an important aspect concerning diagnosis and therapy that shows fundamental differences in the treatment of children and adolescents from our experiences with adults. The vision in which both eyes are used simultaneously, we call it binocular vision, is not fully developed at birth. This ability only evolves during the early infancy, until about the age of six. The visual cortex of our brain is stimulated to build up certain important cell structures through optical impulses. This vital development is particularly strong until the age of one. Thus, optical stimuli are extremely important during the first years.

If this linkage between the eye and the brain does not take place or is incompletely evolved, dimness of vision develops. This visual impairment, also called amblyopia, cannot be corrected later on. With other words, eye diseases during infancy can lead to a permanent visual impairment if they are not diagnosed early enough or left untreated for a longer period of time. This is why ophthalmologists emphasize that it is vital to prevent amblyopia during early infancy.