My 2 and half year old kid has Astigmatism and myopia

Hello Experts,

   My 2 and half year old cute daughter has extreme Astigmatism and Myopia. We heard this news yesterday after our visit to the Pediatric Ophthalmologist. Naturally we are so depressed and feel very sorry for our daughter, we cannot digest this news. A little background about us(parents) Father doesnt have any issues with eyes, normal 31 year old without glasses or contacts. Mother has Astigmatism and Myopia( I am not sure her Astigmatism is severe or whatever) She wears contacts and when at home glasses all the time except when asleep.

   My daughter till now she can see almost everything like a normal kid, she recognizes things around normally, says the colors etc. But as per our doctors tests she has severe Astigmatism and Myopia. We really do not understand if she has such severe Astigmatism and can see near and far objects without any difficulty how come the tests produce such results. Appreciate expert opinions on this. Also doctor prescribed glasses all the time. We are scheduled to have a second opinion with another doctor although I trust the current ophthalmologist. We cannot take chances and would like to try all open scenarios.

  Please seek additional information and any help which would make our kid normal is highly appreciated.

Thanks & Regards
Worried Father
Srinivas

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

I think it is fine to get a second opinion.  Make sure you see an excellent pediatric ophthalmologist.  I'm sure everything will work out for your daughter.  Tens of millions of people need to wear glasses or contacts for astigmatism or myopia - so this is not some terrible disease.  Get the second opinion - and follow the expert's advice as far as glasses.  Thankfully, it sounds like eyes are otherwise healthy so far and your child is developing normally.  That is a blessing.

MJK MD

[srinv9]

my daughters reading as per the doctor is as follows

OD: -7.25+4.00x95
Os: -6.25+2.50x78

  do you think my daughters eyes is healthy by these.

thanks
Srinivas

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

She has moderately high myopia and quite a bit of astigmatism and will need to wear glasses full time and needs to be watched very closely for any crossing of eyes or amblyopia (lazy eye.)

MJK MD

[srinv9]

Hello MJK,

  Thank you very much for your responses. Although we parents still wonder with such high readings of OD and OS how come she is able to see things perfectly and recognize objects as a normal kid. We never got doubt about her eyesight. When she was 9 months old or an year old we had to visit pediatric opth because her eyes were constantly watering. And at that time only the doctor had given us a clue that she has myopia.

  But as she is growing up now 2 and half, she watches things normally, recognizes colors perfectly and very very active and really playful. Appreciate if at all those readings are related in anyway?

Thanks
Srinivas

[kg17]

You could always seek an additional opinion as to her prescription.  As one who had early severe myopia, I can tell you that from my personal experience, I was able to identify objects quite well at that young age even though my world was very blurry.  My myopia was not discovered until school when it be came clear that I could not see the board to do the work.  My prescription in kindergarten was -8 bilaterally with 2 diopters of astigmatism.  The brain in amazingly compensatory, especially when young.

[ginity]

Don't worry! I'm a high myopia kid too! i'm currently having about -9 at both eyes at my age of 14. i think you should get her to wear RGB lenses when she is at the age when she is suitable to. it really helped slow down my myopia. i was diagonsed with myopia at the age of 5.

[srinv9]

Hello Sir,

  We took our daughter for 2nd opinion today and the readings are quite different.

the previous readings were
OD: -7.25+4.00x95
Os: -6.25+2.50x78

and the current readings are

OD -6.00 +4.00X95
OS: -5.75 +4.00 X80

What do you understand by the difference. Appreciate your comments on it.

Thanks
Srinivas