Specialist Eye Test For Children

At Eye Clinic London, we use the most advanced equipment to make quantitative judgments on the development and level of vision possessed by a child.

We also offer a supplementary service for those with:

• Learning difficulties
• Dyslexia
• Autism-spectrum
• Neurological disorders
• Stroke patients
• Glaucoma patients

Eye movement disorders

This specialist field principally deals with eye movement disorders such as:

• Squint
• Amblyopia
• Nystagmus
• Binocular vision disorders

Accommodative imbalance problems

In addition to eye movement disorders, we also treat any accommodative imbalance problems which may cause eye strain (asthenopia).

It is very important to identify and treat a visual disorder as early as possible as most conditions require treatment before the visual system has matured.

Electrodiagnostic Tests

For infants, the tests will involve sitting with your baby on your lap for 20-30 minutes in front of a large TV screen. Baby can feed during the test.

We will clean areas of the child’s scalp using a slightly gritty gel on a cotton wool bud. We then attach the electrodes on the head using a washable cream. You can then turn your baby towards the TV, where we will present black and white squares of different sizes.

The electrodes will record the responses from the brain to the reversing patterns. We will then gently place sticker electrodes on the cheeks under the child’s eyes and on the temples to record the retinal responses.

We will flash a light to stimulate the child’s retina. The light will first be presented to both eyes, and then each eye will be covered in turn to compare right and left eyes.

At the end of the test, the electrodes are easily removed, and the cream washed off with cotton wool and warm water.

Retinal recordings in older children and adults involve the use of corneal electrodes that are positioned in the lower fornix of each eye.

Electrodiagnostic investigations are used for a wide variety of reasons, including determining the presence of cortical visual impairment in those who are too young or not able to comply with behavioural tests. It can identify congenital or hereditary conditions such as retinal dystrophies and albinism. It can also be used to investigate and monitor amblyopia, strabismus, brain injury, head injury and diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

We have vast experience in assessing children, and have developed the necessary skills to obtain patient concentration and cooperation whilst endeavouring to make the patient feel at ease throughout the investigation.

We manage all treatable childhood eye problems through conservative methods, or with eye surgery.

We principally use five different treatment specialities to help facilitate a comprehensive service for a multitude of binocular vision abnormalities including:

• Provide occlusion therapy for amblyopic children
• Present orthoptic exercises for symptomatic patients with conditions such as convergence insufficiency to alleviate symptoms
• Assist in surgical procedures – adjustable sutures
• Use of lenses – Prismatic and Fresnel lenses are used to treat double vision (diplopia). Spherical and cylindrical lenses are used to manipulate convergence and accommodation.
• Use pharmaceutical drugs to improve vision.