Pediatrics Strabismus News

Retinopathy of prematurity is one of the major causes of childhood blindness. In developed nations, despite the progress made in neonatal care, rates are still high due to the rising number of surviving premature infants with very low or extremely low birth weight.

Globally, congenital cataracts account for 5% to 20% of blindness in children, and these numbers differ in various countries. In the U.S., the prevalence of visually significant infantile cataract was estimated to be three or four per 10,000 live births. Congenital cataracts may involve one or both eyes and can span a wide spectrum of lens opacities, from a visually insignificant, small, focal opacity not involving the visual axis to total lens opacification. Hence, treatment strategies will vary depending on the type of lens opacity. The overall focus is to clear the visual axis in a timely fashion to prevent potential lifelong amblyopia.

Researchers recommended that examinations for diabetic retinopathy could largely begin at 15 years old or later, in a study recently published in Ophthalmology.

Screening examinations for diabetic retinopathy among children with type 1 diabetes could begin later than currently recommended, Megan M. Geloneck, MD, said in a presentation at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus annual meeting.

Eye screenings for diabetic retinopathy in children with type 1 diabetes should begin at age 15 years or 5 years after diabetes diagnosis, whichever comes later, according to research in Ophthalmology.

The number of ophthalmology articles published and recorded in PubMed from 1998 to 2012 significantly increased in linear progression for both adult and pediatric ophthalmology topics, according to a study.

The use of extended-wear contact lenses after cataract extraction in infants may lead to increased endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation of cell area and central corneal thickness, according to the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study.

The pairing of fluorescein angiography and color fundus photographs may improve the sensitivity of retinopathy of prematurity diagnosis by pediatric ophthalmologists and retina specialists, according to a study

A positive correlation between penetrating ocular injuries and symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the pediatric population was found in a clinical study.

Part-time patching was shown to be no more effective than observation among children between the ages of 12 months and 35 months with intermittent exotropia, according to a study.