Pediatric optometry
A child's eye exam can help prevent certain types of amblyopia or "lazy eye." Amblyobia is an eye development problem that can occur if vision is poorly corrected. It is established that the development of the visual system continues until the age of seven to nine years. It is therefore important to take your children for their first eye exams before this age.
Dr. Susan Issa, optometrist offers eye exams to young and school-age children. During your child's eye exam, Susan Issa will measure your child's visual acuity if possible depending on the child's age. She will also check the alignment of his or her eyes. It may be necessary to instill drops in the child's eyes that relax the muscles inside the eyes in order to carry out the examination. A childhood eye exam always includes an assessment of eye health.
Myopia
Myopia (sightness) in children is increasing at an alarming rate. Myopia is becoming more and more common throughout the world. By 2050, research suggests that 50% of the world's population could be nearsighted. Myopia is considered high from -6D, at which point the risk of pathologies such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and maculopathy increases.
Risk factors
Several risk factors contribute to the likelihood of developing myopia. These factors include genetics, eye length and environmental conditions.
It is important to delay the onset of myopia until the age of 10, because the progression of myopia is much more rapid before the age of 10.
Studies show that 1 to 2 hours per day of outdoor time before the onset of myopia can provide a protective effect against myopia.
We do not recommend screen time for children under 2 years old. Between 2 and 8 years old, children should not be on the screen for more than one hour per day. For children over 8 years old, a maximum of 2 hours of screen time per day for leisure (excluding schoolwork) is recommended.
Nutrition
Nutrition is also an important factor that can influence eye length. High-glycemic foods are more likely to cause myopia. Treatment options
Several treatment options are available to help control the progression of myopia, including orthoceratology (wearing hard contact lenses overnight), soft multifocal lenses, pharmaceutical drops, and vision management spectacle lenses for myopia.
Myopia control
Glasses
Specialty lenses for myopia management, such as those in the ZEISS Myopia Management portfolio, are a practical method for treating progressive myopia in children. These lenses are designed to treat myopia progression and are probably the most comfortable solution for a young patient. The new MYOCARE lens from ZEISS was clinically shown to slow the progression of myopia.
Contact Lenses
New contact lens specially designed for the pediatric eye, now available at the ROCKLAND EYE Clinic.
Abiliti TM by Acuvue is a therapeutic lens designed for the management of myopia in children and young adolescents. The hardware is the same as the Oasys 1-day that many of you are already familiar with. Thus, your children will benefit from the same comfort. Studies show this lens slows the progression of myopia by -0.50 D in as little as 6 months. The parameters of this lens were designed to accommodate the smaller corneas of this young population. Another special feature is UV protection, a feature unique to Acuvue lenses. These lenses also have high oxygen permeability, so you can rest assured that your children are getting the maximum comfort and protection for their eyes.
Optometrists not participating in RAMQ
Please note that our optometrists are not participants in the health insurance program (RAMQ). There are therefore examination fees for all patients including those aged 0-17 and 65 and over.