s/o glasses from K-8 board

[PentecostalMom]

Okay, so my 4yo dd (to me) had what I would call a lazy eye. Dh and I talked about taking her to an optometrist, but hadn't really made a firm decision. Then she tells me that sometimes she sees "creamy" (I am thinking her vision is blurry and she didn't know how to express it) and she also says she she sees "white sometimes, just a little bit."

 

Anyway, today I took her to an optometrist (not pediatric). They tell me she is farsighted and is 4.5 in one eye & 5.0 in the other. I don't know what this translates to in the 20/whatever department, and I was so upset I forgot to ask! The poor dear has always been clumsy, I am wondering if this is why now! However, for some reason I feel uncertain and am looking for a pediatric optometrist.

 

I see some of you have taken your child to a pediatric opthamologist. What is the difference and which one should I take her to for a 2nd opinion? Neither dh nor I wear glasses, so this is a completely new field for us. I simply want to make sure that she gets what she needs.

 

We did order the glasses that this optometrist said she needs, to the tune of $250 and that was with a 10% military discount! We helped her choose frames and got the poly-carbonate lenses. Anyway, if she needs them, it's just money, her eyes are certainly more important. One of the things that concerns me is that the doc is "not sure" if she has lazy eye, or if it is just due to the eye working so hard o compensate for the lack of vision.

 

So any thoughts/opinions/experience/recommendations with this would help ease a Mama's mind!

 

Thanks so much!

[mhg]

Without a doubt, take her to a pediatric opthalmologist. I see you live in Alabama. I live in Mississippi and our 4 yo son sees Dr. Kersh, she's a pediatric opthalmologist in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. You're sure to be able to find one there in AL. If not, consider making a trip to Hattiesburg for a great doc. Here's an article that explains the difference between optometrist and opthalmologist. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=22559.

 

Best Wishes!

[GoVanGogh]

We took our son to our family optometrist when he was ~ four years old. She said DS needed glasses. Seeking another opinion, we took him to a pediatric ophthalmologist who said DS didn't need glasses, but needed surgery for strabismus. He pushed us to schedule surgery right then and there. :001_huh: We then went for a third opinion - again with a pediatric ophthalmologist. This doctor agreed that DS needed surgery, but felt we should wait and monitor it a year before we proceeded with surgery.

Knowing what I know now --- I honestly would never take a child to an optometrist. We have gone to the same ophthalmologist for four years now and love him to pieces, trust him fully. He has said that the majority of childhood eye issues are misdiagnosed by optometrist. Optometrists are trained to check basic eye issues and vision, but do not even have the equipment to check for things like strabismus. I don't know about lazy eye. In DS's case, he had one eye that didn't fully track with the other eye. It was off a tiny amount - very minor. But enough that he was seeing double and he couldn't track to read.

[myfatherslily]

My DD has one eye with "intermittent exotropia," meaning it turns outward sometimes. The optometrist was unable to find it, but the pediatric ophthalmologist saw it immediately. We saw a dr at Children's in Birmingham. If you're near there, PM me for his name.

[Amber in AUS]

My oldest DD wears glasses for longsightedness to the tune of +5.5 and +6.5 she also has astigmatism. She sees a paediatric opthamologist. So far we have seen 2 different opthamologists and i have been most happy with the second who is treating her condition seriously and with aggression. We are there every 4m to check on her progress. She has a very slight turn to her eye and has to patch daily to make her eye work.

 

Did the optometrist put drops in her eyes and blow up her pupils? This is the most accurate way to check exactly what script is required. The opthamologist is able to check the refraction of light on the back of the eye and that makes it completely objective. It isn't reliant on the small child saying what looks better or worse.

 

I would encourage you to seek out a recommended paediatric opthamologist in your area for a second opinion.

[sarawatsonim]

My oldest DD wears glasses for longsightedness to the tune of +5.5 and +6.5 she also has astigmatism. She sees a paediatric opthamologist. So far we have seen 2 different opthamologists and i have been most happy with the second who is treating her condition seriously and with aggression. We are there every 4m to check on her progress. She has a very slight turn to her eye and has to patch daily to make her eye work.

 

Did the optometrist put drops in her eyes and blow up her pupils? This is the most accurate way to check exactly what script is required. The opthamologist is able to check the refraction of light on the back of the eye and that makes it completely objective. It isn't reliant on the small child saying what looks better or worse.

 

I would encourage you to seek out a recommended paediatric opthamologist in your area for a second opinion.

 

 

I agree. My dd5's got glasses at 4 after I noticed her one eye slightly turned in when she was tired. We went to an opthamologist when also suggested seeing a pediatric opthamologist. We see them alternating every several months. Her prescription is +4.5 in one eye and +4.75 in the other. We had no idea that her vision was that bad because she gave no outward signs. The opthamologist said that when she came at the beginning in she would be considered legally blind. We have gone through many months of patching and appointments. Go to the pediatric opthamologist, it is better to over cautious on this issue.

[Perry]

I honestly would never take a child to an optometrist.

:iagree:

I wouldn't go as an adult, either.

[Dobela]

You need to go to an opthamologist, they are medical doctors that specialize in the eye and have a completely different knowledge base. Your child may have a correctable condition or she may have one that is not correctable (Strabisimus or amblyopia) - but only a good pediatric opthamologist can tell you which and what can be done. My dd is at risk for this and the opthamologist is quite vigilant. For more information http://www.strabismus.org/

[rootsnwings]

Do not waste your $$$ buying frames through them! I have used zennioptical.com with great success. $8 (+4.95 shippng) for a ton of perscription lenses!

[Mommee & Baba]

For those that panic at the price of eye exams and glasses....check this out...

 

Sight For Students!

 

Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children. The program operates nationally through a network of community partners who identify children in need and VSP network doctors who provide the eyecare services.

[TXMomof4]

Definately take her to a ped. opthamologist. My dd also had a lazy eye that we didn't notice until I took her to a reg. opth. at the age of 7. She had already lost some vision in that eye but all he did was recommend glasses with so little correction in them as to be useless and no prism.

 

Luckily I used to be a opth. asst. so I *knew* what he was suggesting was ridiculous and I also knew he wasn't able to correct her vision to 20/20 so I got a referral. She ended up needing patching and surgery on both eyes to correct it. She still can't see 20/20 in the lazy eye. If I hadn't had experience and just gone with what he'd said there's no telling how much damage could have been done.

 

Yes, I'm still irked about that - almost 2 years later.

[Chris in VA]

As far as being clumsy, yes, it could definitely be her eyes--they are not working together, so her depth perception could be off.

I knew my mom had limited depth perception, but it wasn't until THIS YEAR that she told me she had "lazy eye" as a child! Because they didn't do very much for it back in the 30's, her brain never learned to see correctly.

 

Glad you can get to a ped op.

[PentecostalMom]

We are off to a pediatric opthamologist today! I found one in Birmingham by the name of Dr. Eric Hein that had cancellations for today. it is a teo hour drive but will give me great peace. We did find Zenni Optical thanks for the tip. As for Sight for Students, we do not qualify. We make too much money (that I am thankful for). It hasn't always been like that! :D

 

BTW, to the person that inquired. Yes, her eyes were dilated. she had two different eye drops, one was stronger than the other. I did feel like the optometrist spent an adequate amount of time, but never having been through an eye exam, I am not certain about the procedures.

 

Thanks for all the fabulous advice ladies. I really appreciate the encouragment and support. I will post later and let you know how it went. Prayers welcomed!

[PentecostalMom]

So we took off on the 2.25 hour trek to Birmingham to see the pediatric opthamologist. They did a lot more testing than the optometrist, and said her left eye is 20/20, and her right eye is 20/40. He altered her presciption some and said he did not see an astigmatism as diagnosed by the optometrist. The optometrist DID NOT EVEN MENTION TO ME THAT THERE WAS AN ASTIGMATISM!!!! That annoyed me, but I knew I was doing what was in my heart, so it was alright and I let it go.

 

He said it can possibly be corrected (or may self correct), but he did not want to give me a guarantee, which I completely understand. He wants to see her back in two months, but he comes to Montgomery once monthly which is only an hour. Less than 1/2 the drive to Birmingham, YAY! He offered to refer me to an opthamologist closer, but I told him I specifically came to him becase he was a specialist in pediatrics. He said that was great, he was simply trying to save me the drive.

 

He also said he does not think she has lazt eye that requires surgery, he thinks the appearance of the lazy eye symptoms is due to the fact that the right eye is tired from trying to keep up with the left eye and sort of "zones out" or rests, hence the appearance of a lazy eye. He does not think we will have to do patching.

 

Thanks again for all the comments & support, even in the OP thread on the K-8 board. That OP is what kicked me into gear to take her in the first place. I feel much better now that I went there. Keep us in your prayers! Our God is an AWESOME God!