Cleveland Clinic pediatric ophthalmologist performing an eye exam on a child.

Pediatric Eye Care

Appointments: 216.444.2020

You know your child’s vision is still developing. But something doesn’t seem right. They aren’t seeing things like they should at this age. And that worries you.

Eye and vision problems can affect your child’s development and activities, from communicating and playing to reading and learning. If you suspect they’re having problems seeing, it’s important to get things checked out quickly. The faster you do this, the faster they’ll be back to seeing life clearly.

The pediatric eye specialists (ophthalmologists) at Cleveland Clinic Children's offer complete eye care for children of all ages. We treat childhood eye problems — from minor issues to rare and complicated ones. Our screening, diagnosis and treatments can improve your child’s vision and eye health — not to mention their overall well-being and your peace of mind.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic Children's for Eye Care?

Specialized knowledge:

Our pediatric eye specialists (ophthalmologists) have advanced training in diagnosing and treating childhood eye issues. We know what it takes to care for children and how to keep them feeling comfortable and safe during their exam. Meet our team.

Caring approach:

Going to a doctor can be scary for kids. We focus on your child’s comfort and well-being during their care. During their exam, we’ll use children’s movies and bright, unique toys to keep them engaged. And we’ll talk with you so you’ll know what to expect — from exam through treatment.

Convenient care:

You and your child can see our pediatric eye providers at our main campus or one of our community clinic locations near you. All of our pediatric eye specialists use the same leading-edge equipment to make sure your child gets the best possible care.

Skilled collaborative providers:

Some conditions affect more than your child’s eyes. They also can cause problems with other parts of their body. If your child needs additional treatment, we work with other Cleveland Clinic Children's healthcare providers to give your child seamless care from compassionate and expert providers.

Eye Condition Diagnosis at Cleveland Clinic Children's

You know your child best. Trust that you know if they’re having troubles with their vision, and seek care from experts who specialize in children’s eye care. Vision screening should be part of your child’s yearly pediatrician checkups by age 3, especially if you notice any signs of vision troubles. Early treatment is important for their proper eye health and vision development.

Our pediatric eye care providers perform age-appropriate tests and use child-friendly activities to diagnose eye problems in children, especially if your child is too young to read a traditional eye chart. To help get the most accurate results, they’ll use:

Visual behavior testing with lights and other stimulation.
Games and brightly colored toys.
Movies.

We’ll also check for refractive errors (issues seeing things faraway or close-up) with a painless, non-invasive test that uses eye drops to dilate (widen the pupil) their eyes. Using a tool called a retinoscope, we’ll project a beam of light into your child’s dilated pupils so we can easily see the inside of their eye to diagnose vision issues. Along the way, your provider will explain what they’re doing and help calm your child’s nerves if they’re worried about the process.

Providers Who Offer Pediatric Eye Care

Locations

Our pediatric ophthalmologists see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio. Find a location near you.

Eye Condition Treatment at Cleveland Clinic Children's

Cleveland Clinic Children's offers the latest treatments for vision problems and complex eye conditions. Depending on your child’s needs, they may need a combination of one or more treatments. These can include:

Eye drops to improve vision or treat infections and symptoms.
Eye muscle exercises to improve communication between the brain and the eyes to coordinate eye movements.
Medications to treat a wide variety of symptoms.
A patch over the stronger eye to strengthen the weaker eye in amblyopia (lazy eye).
Prescription eyeglasses to correct visions issues.

Our pediatric eye care providers are skilled at advanced surgery for children who have eye conditions that other treatments can’t correct. This can include treating blocked tear ducts, removing cataracts, removing styes resistant to medical treatment and surgery to correct crossed eyes.

Taking the Next Step

Your child’s vision is important. And when your child isn’t seeing the world properly, it can be concerning for you and for them. That’s why you want to quickly find out what’s going on — and get the best treatment. At Cleveland Clinic Children's, our healthcare providers are here to make that happen. We know what it takes to engage children during diagnosis and treatment so they can start seeing clearly.