Screening & Consultation
Screening in children :
Why ?
Approximately 1 in 8 children has visual impairment.
The visual development of the child is a complex maturation process, which takes a few years to mature. At birth, vision is not mature and visual potential develops gradually until about the age of 6.
If an eye does not develop a physiological visual function during the first years of life, it is called amblyopic; an amblyopic eye is an eye that has worked less during the development process and is therefore less efficient.
It is also possible that both eyes are amblyopic.
Most of the time it is impossible for parents to notice amblyopia because the child is not necessarily aware that one eye is less efficient than the other and therefore the child will not complain about a vision problem.
The best time to treat amblyopia, when possible, is during the first years of life: the earlier the treatment, the better the chances of a good recovery.
When ?
At birth, the child receives a first eye check in the hospital.
An emergency consultation is necessary, whatever the age of the child, in the following cases:
- leukocoria (white reflection in the pupil);
- a fixed strabismus, an intermittent strabismus that persists after four months of life or a strabismus that appeared suddenly;
- visible anomalies of the eye (persistent redness, tearing , opaque cornea, pupil anomaly).
A consultation is strongly recommended in the following cases:
- the child blinks or rubs his eyes very frequently ;
- the child complains of frequent headaches, especially at the end of the day, or has difficulty in concentrating ;
- if, at school, the child experiences reading difficulties ;
- photophobia (high sensitivity to light) ;
- the child has a tendency to close one eye when looking at something.
Consultation process
Adequate care in ophthalmic pediatrics requires a reassuring atmosphere, in a place dedicated to children and with specific equipment.
The first appointment may last an hour and a half; for this reason, we recommend that it must be done in the morning or at the latest in the early afternoon, when the child is most rested.
The clinical examination is completed by a study of the refraction under cycloplegia: this consists of instilling drops in the eyes to block the child’s accommodation, in order to have an accurate measurement of any optical anomalies in the eyes.
After the consultation, the child’s vision will be blurred and the pupil will be dilated until the end of the day, so it is recommended that sunglasses or a baseball cap (or similar) be provided.
When you make your appointment, Mrs. Carina Barbosa and Mrs Nour Ben Ayed, our medical assistants, will provide you with all the necessary information before the consultation and will be at your disposal at every stage of the consultation on the day of the appointment.
Appointment - contact
Appointment for a child from 0 to 4 years: only in Lausanne by telephone
Languages spoken at the practice: français, english, italiano, português, español, عربي
- Orthoptic assessment
- Visual assessment for learning disabilities
- Emergencies available every day by telephone.
Orthoptic assessment
Care and follow-up are provided in Lausanne by two qualified orthoptists from the Jules Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital, Mme Kajeevini Thangarajah and Mrs Aline Maillard.
Visual assessment for learning disabilities
Appointment only in Lausanne by phone