Pediatric Ophthalmology
Dr. Christina Weeks is a board certified pediatric ophthalmologist and surgeon. Along with her orthoptist and pediatric technicians, she has years of experience in providing specialized eye care for children. You will find Dr. Weeks and her team provides up-to-date treatment, in a caring setting that you and your child will appreciate. She specializes in the detection and treatment of strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), amblyopia (sometimes referred to as "lazy eye"), common vision problems (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism), blocked tear ducts, retinopathy of prematurity, anisometropia and other pediatric eye problems.Dr. Christina Weeks also specializes in the detection, treatment and surgery of adult strabismus and adult eyelid conditions such as droopy eyelids that affect vision.
Good vision is key to a child's physical development, success in school and overall well-being. The vision system is not fully formed in babies and young children, and equal input from both eyes is necessary for the brain's vision centers to develop normally. If a young child's eyes cannot send clear images to the brain, his or her vision may become limited in ways that cannot be corrected later in life. But if problems are detected early, it is usually possible to treat them effectively. We recommend a comprehensive exam for newborns that are premature or at high risk for medical problems for other reasons, have signs of abnormalities, or have a family history or serious vision disorders in childhood. Many times your pediatrician or family doctor will recommend an exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist when problems are suspected.
We recommend that all children have a comprehensive eye exam between 3 to 4 years of age. Eye alignment and visual acuity will be assessed to determine whether the child can focus normally at far, middle and near distances. Many children are somewhat farsighted (hyperopic) but can also see clearly at other distances. If misaligned eyes (strabismus), "lazy eye" (amblyopia), refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) or another focusing problem are suspected during the exam, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible to ensure successful vision correction and life-long benefits.
More Information
Strabismus
Amblyopia
Common Vision Problems
Blocked Tear Ducts
Adapted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart Campaign, www.geteyesmart.org
Family Eyecare
The doctors at Eye Physicians & Surgeons provide eye care for all ages. Drs. Laura Bealer, Ajeet Dhingra, Peter Gordon, Charles McDowell, Jr., Paul McManus, Indira Menon, and and Shalin Shah are board certified eye surgeons who specialize in comprehensive eye care including but not limited to routine vision problems, cataract surgery, vision correction surgery, treatment for glaucoma, AMD, diabetes, cornea disease and other vision problems. Dr. Christina Weeks specializes in treating our pediatric patients and adult eye muscle and eyelid problems. Dr. John Thomas specializes in treating patients with retina diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.Eye and vision development are complete by the time people reach their early 20's and normally remain steady for several decades afterward. Whenever a problem is suspected, you should have a comprehensive eye exam. If you have common vision problems such as near or farsightedness or astigmatism you should have an exam at least every two years.
Early signs of age-related eye diseases, including cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration can begin in midlife but often do not noticeably affect the vision until later. So it is important to get a baseline comprehensive eye exam at age 40, even for people who have no symptoms or known risk factors. We will recommend follow-up exams based on your family history and the results of the baseline exam. By age 65, one in three Americans will have a vision-impairing eye disease. The earlier these are discovered and treatment begins, the better the chance of preserving good vision. People who are diabetic or pre-diabetic need to have annual eye exams.
"Eye Disease Screening at Age 40" - Click Here to Watch Video
"Protecting your Vision from Diabetes- An Annual Exam Needed" - Click Here to Watch Video
Adapted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart Campaign, www.geteyesmart.org