Paediatric Ophthalmology

At Mediclinic, children's eye care is delivered by teams who work only with young patients. Because a child's sight is still developing, we focus on spotting problems such as squint and lazy eye early, while treatment can still change how well your child grows up to see.

What is paediatric ophthalmology?

Paediatric ophthalmology is the medical and surgical care of children's eyes, from newborn to teenager. It treats the eye conditions of childhood, from common ones such as squint and lazy eye to less common problems of the eyelids and retina. A child's vision is still developing, so some conditions are treated early, while sight can still improve. A paediatric ophthalmologist is a doctor; an optometrist tests eyesight and prescribes glasses. Orthoptists carry out much of the squint and lazy-eye testing.

When should you bring your child to an eye doctor?

Book an appointment if you notice any of these in your child:

• A turned, crossed or wandering eye
• Sitting very close to the screen, or squinting to see
• A watery or sticky eye that keeps coming back
• A drooping eyelid, or eyelids that look uneven
• Tilting the head or covering one eye to focus
• A sense that one eye isn't seeing as well as the other

A white area in your child's pupil, or a white reflection in flash photographs, should be checked by a doctor straight away, as it can be an early sign of a serious eye condition.

Some children need to be seen even without an obvious problem. A family history of squint, lazy eye or childhood glasses, or being born early, raises the chance of an eye condition. A baby's eyes are checked soon after birth, and many children have a vision check before they start school. Regular checks matter because a young child often won't tell you that one eye sees poorly.

What to expect

A children's eye appointment is designed to feel relaxed, often more like play than a test. For your baby or toddler who can't yet read a chart, the team measures sight in playful, age-appropriate ways, watching how each eye moves and focuses. An orthoptist usually checks how the eyes work together and looks for a squint or a lazy eye.

The doctor may put drops in to widen the pupils, which blurs near vision for a few hours so the back of the eye can be seen clearly. Treatment depends on what's found. It might be glasses, patching or drops to strengthen a weaker eye. Less often, surgery straightens a squint. Your doctor will talk you through each option, and you'll agree the next step together.

Paediatric ophthalmology at Mediclinic

Our paediatric ophthalmology and squint unit is based at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai. It brings paediatric eye doctors and orthoptists together in one place. There, we assess and treat many of the conditions that affect a child's eyes, such as squint, lazy eye and childhood cataract. The orthoptists carry out the detailed testing, charting how the eyes move to show how well they work together. Where a drooping eyelid affects a child's sight, we repair it. In Abu Dhabi, our teams perform squint surgery for children as well as adults. We offer children's eye care more widely across our UAE hospitals, including in Al Ain. We can also check whether your child needs glasses, and when they do, they'll see our optometrists, who are part of the same team.