Parents always wish the best for their children. When our toddlers are growing up we want to make sure everything is going well to avoid problems in the future. We monitor their growth, their physical and mental development, we teach them how to eat, talk, walk, and many more. But, not often do we hear about parents teaching their children how to take proper care of their eyes and vision. And even less often we hear about parents taking preventative measures. Unfortunately, oftentimes, eyesight and eye health care are neglected and parents only act when the condition is at a more advanced stage.
Raising children, and taking care of them is difficult, if not one of the most demanding jobs out there. We understand that things get missed out and forgotten. But, don’t let it be their eye health and vision! Many conditions can only be treated at a young age, so take preventative measures now – contact us!
Our child eye ophthalmologists are experts at what they do – they are your best port of call. So, let us explain what a pediatric ophthalmologist is, and what services are offered at our practice.
What is a pediatric ophthalmologist?
The term “eye doctor” is incredibly broad and can refer to many types of eye specialists, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, ophthalmic medical assistants, and ophthalmic technicians, and nurses. Oftentimes, people use these terms interchangeably, which is incorrect.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology defines an OPHTHALMOLOGIST as a “medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists complete 12 to 13 years of training and education, and are licensed to practice medicine and surgery.” This rigorous, longitudinal and intense training gives ophthalmologists the ability to treat a hugely diverse and wide range of conditions. And this is what distinguishes ophthalmologists from optometrists and opticians.
OpticianEDU.org explains that since ophthalmologist are medically trained practitioners, they can choose from diagnosing and treating eye and visual problems, to conducting highly-advanced clinical studies and research. On a daily basis, ophthalmologists can provide correction services, perform eye surgery and treat eye diseases. Ophthalmologists ARE medical doctors, therefore they can even recognise health problems unrelated to your vision, and refer you to the right doctor.
What is a pediatric ophthalmologist?
General ophthalmologists are required to complete at least 4 years of specialty training after the completion of a medical degree. These years are split into a three-year residency in ophthalmology followed by at least a one-year internship.
A pediatric ophthalmologist is all the things an ophthalmologist is, but with a specialisation in evaluating and treating medical and surgical eye conditions in children. The Americal College of Surgeons categorise pediatric and strabismus (crossed eyes) ophthalmology into one sub-group. This is because doctors in both of these fields are often involved in both intraocular surgery and detailed eye muscle surgery. The latter requires the doctor to have a one-year fellowship.
Our ophthalmologists in Livingston believe that identifying conditions at an early stage is crucial because many conditions are only treatable at an early age. We recommend taking your child to an ophthalmologist for an initial check-up around the age of 3 to 4 years old. However, early diagnosis is key, so do not hesitate to contact us if you suspect a condition to be developing.
Our services
At our practice we pride ourselves with the services we provide to our young patients. As experienced ophthalmologists we can carry out an in-depth evaluation of your children’s eyes and vision, and are capable of prescribing and conducting many different types of treatments. Below we have listed what services are provided at our practice, and what you can expect from us.
Initial check-up appointment
We recommend to schedule your initial check-up appointment with us when your child is 3 to 4 years old. This appointment lasts up to 1.5 hours – depending on your child’s general health state, cooperation, medical history and their specific ophthalmology needs. During this appointment our children’s ophthalmologist in Livingston will:
- Dilate the eyes with eye drops – allow our doctor to have a clear view of the inside of the eye
- Screen for refractive errors – nearsightedness, astigmatism, need to wear glasses, etc.
- Measure visual acuity, eye alignment, and fundoscopy (examination of the back of the eye)
All of those tests are conducted thoroughly with utmost care because SOME CONDITIONS ARE ONLY TREATABLE AT A YOUNG AGE. We accept children much younger than 3 years old, so if you suspect that your child is suffering from a condition, schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible.
Eye drops
The use of eye drops is necessary for our child eye doctor as the eye drops are designed to relax the muscles that are attached to the lens of the eye. This means that the doctor will have a clearer view of the inside of your child’s eye, allowing objective measurement of refractive error. The eye drops are safe! Our young patients are usually allowed to go back to school and their daily activities on the day of the exam. The only differences your child may notice, for up to a couple of hours after the check-up, are slightly blurred near vision (reading) and increased light sensitivity.
Common surgeries
Our pediatric ophthalmologist is an experienced medical doctor capable of carrying out many types of vision and eye related surgeries. We are highly trained to meet the medical needs of your children, whatever treatment their condition requires. Therefore, if you suspect your child is developing a condition, do not hesitate to contact us to see what WE can do FOR YOU! The most common surgeries conducted by our child eye doctors are:
- Strabismus or eye muscle surgery – to straighten eye alignment
- Probing or irrigation of blocked tear ducts
- Eyelids and tissue around the eye surgery
Working with young patients
Not only are our doctors intensively medically trained to do what they do, but they also know how to deal with our young patients. Our children eye doctors are patient and have many flawless tricks up her sleeve to successfully work with stubborn, uncooperative, scared, quiet and incredibly young patients. We have specialised equipment to examine children who CAN’T READ YET! With us, your children are in good hands!
About our pediatric ophthalmologist near you!
Our exceptional doctors, Amy Lambert, MD, and Rachel Bloom, MD, are both board certified pediatric ophthalmologists. Dr. Lambert, the founder of Pediatric Eye Associates, LLc, is also a board certified strabismus surgeon, and Dr. Bloom is additionally fellowship trained. Our child eye doctors are experts at meeting your children’s eye and visual needs. We pride ourselves with the results we achieve with our patients and we believe the key is not just our medical expertise, but also attitude and patience with the children. Our motto is “to provide the highest quality eye care for children in a setting that is comfortable and reassuring.”
We understand that you will have many questions about our Livingston ophthalmologist, so if any of them are still unanswered, please refer to our FAQs page, or contact us. You can get in touch with us by:
- Visiting our practice
22 Old Short Hills Rd. Lower Level-1,Livingston, New Jersey 07039
Open hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00
- Calling us on 973-422-1230
- Submitting the enquiry form on our contact us page
- Checking our facebook page – Pediatric Eye Associates, LLC
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
