Pediatric Ophthalmology

Pediatric eye specialists at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital care for children with a full range of eye and vision health conditions. Specialists offer medical and surgical treatment for conditions such as childhood glaucoma, childhood cataract, strabismus and lacrimal system repair.

At Saint Peter’s, a board certified pediatric ophthalmologist, who is part of the neonatology team of specialists, is responsible for screening newborn infants at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the development of abnormal blood vessels in the retina of the eye in a premature infant. Premature infants with ROP are considered to be at higher risk for developing certain eye problems later in life, such as retinal detachment, myopia (nearsightedness), strabismus (crossed eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye), and glaucoma. In many cases, these eye problems can be treated or controlled. The most effective proven treatment for ROP is laser therapy, which is performed on babies with stage III of the disease.