Pediatrics Strabismus News

Ophthalmologists have different opinions on precisely what constitutes childhood glaucoma, with some concluding that elevated IOP alone indicates the disease.

Advances in fetal medicine helped by ultrasonography, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, and maternal and fetal cord blood sampling are well-established. This has been coupled with progress in maternal fetal medicine, as pregnant women are increasingly aware of the availability of these tests, their entitlement to obtain data and their right to act upon them. Such decisions and actions can present parents as well as doctors with considerable moral dilemmas. Get the whole story

Telemedicine proved accurate and reliable in diagnosing treatment-warranted retinopathy of prematurity, according to a study by the Stanford University Network for Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity telemedicine initiative. “Telemedicine, as implemented in the SUNDROP initiative, assists the ROP workforce in identifying high-risk infants with vision-threatening disease and ensuring all premature infants have access to quaternary nursery level care, regardless of their birthplace,” the study authors said.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved the Visian implantable Collamer lens with CentraFLOW technology for use in Japan, STAAR Surgical announced in a press release. The approved treatment range for the Visian ICL with CentraFLOW is –3 D to –18 D. The range for the Visian toric ICL with CentraFLOW is –3 D to –18 D, with +1 D to +4.5 D of astigmatism.

A yearly comprehensive eye exam for chiFldren through the age of 18 years by either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is now one of the 10 essential health benefits covered by the Affordable Care Act. Many believe that this benefit, which was strongly supported by the American Optometric Association, will dramatically increase the number of infants and children coming into optometrists’ practices.

Students training in the health care profession screened and identified potential ocular problems in low-income and minority children at a comparable rate to health care professionals with advanced testing, a study found.

Two options are sufficient for treating bilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction in infants, according to a study.

If accurate refractive measurements are needed, cycloplegic eye drops are necessary to reduce the accommodative tone in children when general anesthesia is used, according to a study. The study comprised 41 children with an average age of 3.7 years who underwent cycloplegic retinoscopy and subsequent streak retinoscopy under general anesthesia without cycloplegia after 6 months. Myopic measurements were significantly higher for the sphere and spherical equivalent with retinoscopy under general anesthesia compared with cycloplegic retinoscopy (P < .0001); however, there was no significant difference between retinoscopy under general anesthesia and cycloplegic retinoscopy in cylinder power and axis.

Robert S. Gold, MD: Let’s talk about eye pain. Besides the complete exam, as we all would do, what else are you discussing with the family? What else are you looking for?

Thirty-five years ago, after completing a 3-year residency in ophthalmology and 2 years of fellowship training in cornea, anterior segment surgery and glaucoma, I joined a well-established private practice in Dallas for 2 years before eventually returning to the University of Minnesota to direct the Cornea/Anterior Segment Service.