The Paediatric Ophthalmology Service treats the unique ocular problems of children including strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye). Our physicians also perform cataract surgery on infants as early as a few months old.

Vision loss and blindness is devastating to those whom it affects, to their families and their loved ones. More than 70% of our individual knowledge of the world around us comes through our eyes, and loss of some or all of this sense lessens, often dramatically, the quality of life.

We are involved in screening school going children to help detect the undetected blindness amongst them. We have found this percentage of children to be almost 5% amongst urban children and 1% amongst those belonging to the lower socio economic strata.

An infant can be born with cataracts, called congenital cataracts. If a child is born with a cataract, surgery is usually performed as soon as possible to remove it and allow the child's sight to develop naturally. If the cataract is not removed, eyesight will not develop as the brain does not 'learn' to see pictures properly. We have operated and implanted IOL in children a few months old.

Glaucoma is relatively uncommon in this age group. In these tender children it tends to present dramatically, with cloudy large eyes. Sometimes the children have poor vision and may even develop squint. Treatment could be with medications or specialized surgeries including implants. Children are followed up regularly to ensure the vision does not deteriorate.

Children with congenital corneal defects such as keratoconus and CHED (congenital hereditary epithelial dystrophy) have benefited from corneal transplantation procedures.

Squint is relatively common in children. The squint after evaluation could be managed by either spectacles, patching or surgery. In Paediatric Ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive surgical techniques are used to correct strabismus (crossed eyes), as well as the droopy eyelids which occasionally accompany eye muscle problems. Tumors located in the eye's socket or around the eye, and congenital tear duct   obstruction   (a   frequent cause of   tearing and conjunctivitis   in newborns), congenital anophthalmos (an absence of ocular tissue in the orbit) are other conditions commonly addressed.

At Sankara, our specialist children’s unit aims to make your child’s stay as happy and home-like as possible. Within a reassuring setting, our consultants and clinical teams provide a level of care that fully supports our reputation as a centre of excellence for childhood eye conditions.