Definition
Astigmatism in children is a deformation of the cornea. Incoming light is distorted on the retina and children’s vision becomes blurred and blurred. Without early and adequate treatment, far-reaching developmental delays can occur.
Most children who suffer from astigmatism are conspicuous by the fact that they are significantly clumsier than other children. An undetected visual defect is often the cause of this clumsiness. Among the accompanying symptoms of astigmatism in children, clumsiness that is noticeable early on is one of the most common.
This is often the first symptom that can provide an indication of the presence of the disease. The children appear clumsy, stumble and fall often and are unable to grasp objects purposefully. Since seeing and processing visual impressions is very strenuous for the children, they also often suffer from headaches, tension and dizziness.
Many children also find it very difficult to see near or far, and they report images that appear blurred or even double. The procedure for diagnosing astigmatism depends on the age of the children concerned. Babies in particular often cannot be adequately examined by the ophthalmologist with the help of special examination equipment, as they are not yet willing to cooperate.
In these cases, a so-called vision school usually tries to diagnose a visual impairment in a playful way. From the age of 3-4 years on, normal ophthalmological examinations can usually be performed. A visual defect can be diagnosed with a so-called objective refraction.
This involves projecting an infrared image onto the back of the child’s eye and can measure whether the image is in focus. If this is not the case, different lenses are switched on until the image is sharp. Furthermore, the doctor can measure the exact extent of the corneal curvature with a measuring instrument called an ophthalmometer.
Here, 2 crosses, a hollow cross and a reticule, are projected onto the cornea. On a normally curved cornea, the crosses would lie directly on top of each other. In the case of a curvature, they deviate from each other.
Since the ametropia resulting from astigmatism can lead to far-reaching developmental delays, early and adequate treatment is particularly important. In children, the astigmatism should be corrected with the help of glasses. With the help of glasses, children’s brains can compensate for the curvature and enable sharp vision.
A correct fit and the exact calculation of the visual defect to be treated is extremely important. If there is a unilateral astigmatism, the defect can be corrected by masking the healthy eye. This forces the brain to process the impressions of the weaker eye and train it.
Another treatment option for astigmatism is laser therapy. However, it is largely not used in childhood. If the treatment with glasses does not show sufficient effects, this measure can possibly be considered in consultation with the treating physician.
Laser therapy is a surgical procedure in which a hot beam of light is used to remove the irregularities on the cornea, creating a regular, smooth surface that allows sharp vision. In most cases, astigmatism is congenital in children. If there is a hereditary component, several family members in different generations have astigmatism.
The most characteristic feature of a congenital astigmatism in children is a forwardly curved cornea that is particularly thinned out. This is called keratoglobus. Other causes that can lead to astigmatism include surgical operations on the eye or the formation of scars or ulcers on the cornea.
However, this occurs very rarely in children and is more often the cause in adults. Since astigmatism is often noticed late, it is particularly important to pay attention to the indications early on and to examine the children for the presence of astigmatism.Particularly in the case of a family history of eye disease, the ophthalmologist should be consulted at an early stage in order to detect and treat any curvature at an early stage. Astigmatism in children is usually not curable.
If it is detected at an early stage, the treatment is usually very successful and can often almost completely compensate for the existing defect. However, it must be remembered that astigmatism in children is never 100% reversible. A certain visual defect, which requires further correction with glasses or even contact lenses, will always remain.
The aim of the treatment is to correct the visual defect so that the risk of developmental delay is minimized. Astigmatism in children can both decrease and increase as the eye grows. However, complete fusing with 100% healing is not possible.
Since astigmatism and the associated ametropia can change during the course of a child’s growth, it is important to have regular check-ups with your ophthalmologist and to readjust the therapy if necessary. By using glasses to correct a curvature of the cornea in a child, missing nerve tracts can still develop and compensate for the defective vision. It is particularly important to start treatment early.
The glasses used in children must have certain characteristics. Since children rave a lot and often fall, the glasses should contain shatterproof plastic lenses. This significantly reduces the risk of injury.
In addition, the bridge should be made of silicone so that it can adapt to the nose and does not cause pressure points or crush the nose. For smaller children, elastic bands can be used instead of temples. The best possible treatment for astigmatism in children is the use of glasses.
If the curvature is not too far advanced and the other eye does not show any ametropia, another therapy can be considered. In this case, the child’s brain can be forced to process the impressions of the weakened eye as well as possible by tying or masking the healthy eye. In this way, the weakened eye is trained and the visual defect can sometimes be corrected over time. In the case of congenital astigmatism, however, this treatment is in many cases not sufficient and must be supplemented with the use of glasses.
