Keep an eye on their vision

By Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI, JUNE 17. If your child has a problem coping with studies at school, have you ever thought that it might be because he/she cannot see very well? And if it is not rectified early, it will only lead to deteriorating sight and worsening performance.

Paediatric ophthalmologists in the city urge early identification of visual problems of children so that they can be corrected during the developmental stage. Vision correction at an early age will prevent occurrence of ambylopia (partial blindness or dullness of vision).

As schools re-open, they urge parents and teachers to look out for signs of poor vision among children.

In a study done among Corporation school students earlier this year, paediatric ophthalmologists identified refractive errors, squints and other such non-surgically rectifiable problems constituting nearly 75 per cent of vision defects. Nearly 1.5 lakh Corporation schoolchildren were tested at an eye-camp. 25,000 children were in need of some form of medical or surgical correction.

The problems ranged from minor irritants such as redness, watering of eyes and headache to major problems including near blindness. While 2455 children were found to have refractive errors, 25 children had very high refractive errors, verging on blindness.

``The children were even unaware that they have been suffering from the problem'', Dr. Balasubramanian adds. Congenital birth defects, vitamin deficiencies, lack of nourishment and hygiene are the primary contributing factors.

``Lack of proper vision can even lead to psychological and behavioural disorders'', says Dr. V. Balasubramanian, Director, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital. He adds that if a child develops ambylopia which is not detected and corrected, he/she will suffer from a permanent handicap.

At the paediatric ophthalmology unit of the GOH, 663 cases were treated during the year 1999. The highest complaint was of refractive errors, squints and eye-irritation, forming 75 per cent of the total cases treated. Juvenile cataract came in next with a total of 161 cases.

Vitamin A deficiency related defects are common among children coming from the districts and rural areas says Dr. R. Jayaraman, paediatric ophthalmologist who handles referral cases at the special ward in the Institute of Child Health. The Paediatric Ophthalmology ward (outpatient unit) in the ICH, started in August last year, functions on Mondays and Saturdays, handling approximately 20-30 cases per day.

Dr. Jayaraman says the other major problems referred to the OP unit include refractive errors and squints. These errors can be detected from day one. However, testing the eyes of children is a tricky proposition, according to doctors. Little children who are not yet in school, cannot read the regular chart and do not obey commands from the ophthalmologist. The doctors will have to win the confidence of the child, before they are allowed to touch the eye.

But simple adaptations have made it easier for paediatric ophthalmologists to test the eyes of even a new born child. The vision therapy clinic rural eye hospital unit of Sankara Nethralaya in St.Thomas Mount, which was started in January 2000, uses unique techniques to test children. Toys, dolls, screens, picture cards, charts are among the tools used to test children. Ms. S. Premnandini, an optometrist with the Vision Therapy Clinic says it provides training to develop efficient visual skills among children.

``It is not only aimed at diagnosing and testing more effectively, but also improving and maintaining vision through carefully selected office and home training methods'', she says. The procedures are particularly suited for infants, children, spastic children and children with learning disorders.

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Section  : Southern States
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