Blog
Just like adults, children need to have their eyes examined. This need begins at birth and continues through adulthood.
Following are common recommendations for when a child needs to be screened, and what is looked for at each stage.
A child’s first eye exam should be done either right at or shortly after birth. This is especially true for children who were born prematurely and have a very low birth weight and may need to be given oxygen. This is mainly done to screen for a disease of the retina called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), in which the retina does not develop properly as a result of the child receiving high levels of oxygen. Although rarer today due to the levels being monitored more closely, it is still a concern for premature babies.
The next time an eye exam is in order is around 6 months. At this stage, your pediatric eye doctor will check your child’s basic visual abilities by making them look at lights, respond to colors, and be able to follow a moving...
The Background
Over the last several years, research has indicated a strong correlation between the presence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and glaucoma. Information from some of these pivotal studies is presented below.
Did you know
- Glaucoma affects over 60 million people worldwide and almost 3 million people in the U.S.
- There are many people who have glaucoma but have not yet had it diagnosed.
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States.
- If glaucoma is not detected and goes untreated, it will result in peripheral vision loss and eventual, irreversible blindness.
- Sleep apnea is a condition that obstructs breathing during sleep.
- It affects 100 million people around the globe and around 25 million people in the U.S.
- A blocked airway can cause loud snoring, gasping or choking because breathing stops for up to two minutes.
- Poor sleep due to sleep apnea results in morning headaches and chronic daytime sleepiness.
The Studies
In January...