Pediatric Eye Exam

Our pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Rupa Wong, is board certified and fellowship trained in the area of children's eyes.

A comprehensive pediatric eye exam can uncover one of several different types of eye problems. 

• Glasses - Your child may be nearsighted (myopia), farsighted (hyperopia) or have astigmatism.  It is important that children who need glasses, wear them full time when they are young to develop good vision in each eye and three dimensional vision.

• Amblyopia or “lazy eye” - Amblyopia occurs when the vision is reduced in one eye, causing it to be weaker than the other.  This can occur because there is a difference in prescription between the 2 eyes and one eye becomes more dominant.  Or, amblyopia can occur because of strabismus, or misaligned eyes.  If an eye turns in or out, it does not see as clearly as the straight one and becomes weaker.  Rarely, cataracts or severely droopy eye lids can cause amblyopia as well.  The main treatment for amblyopia is patching, in which the stronger, more dominant eye is patched, to allow the weaker eye a chance to gain vision.  Dilating drops can also be used in some cases to blur the vision in the better eye, in essence working as a patch.

• Strabismus or misaligned eyes - Eyes can cross in (esotropia), drift out (exotropia) or be higher or lower than the other (hypertropia or hypotropia).  For specific kinds of strabismus, glasses are sufficient to straighten a child’s eyes, otherwise, usually eye muscle surgery is required.

• Ocular abnormalities - Rarely, children can also develop cataracts, retinal or optic nerve problems, which can also decrease their vision.

To have your child examined for the above abnormalities, call to make an appointment with Dr. Rupa Wong, a board certified pediatric ophthalmologist.

We offer a separate pediatric waiting room just for children, filled with books and toys to make them comfortable with their experience at Honolulu Eye Clinic.