Eye condition may appear at birth, or take a number of years before the first symptoms. Some degenerative eye diseases will cause gradual changes, making detection more difficult. Eye doctors can often detect juvenile eye conditions, though parents usually prompt the evaluation after noticing changes in their children's eyes or vision. Parents should know some of the degenerative eye disease that may affect children, as well as the accompanying symptoms.
Amblyopia
The eye transmits light and visual images to the brain, and this gives us vision. Some children have an eye that does not work with the brain, a condition called amblyopia, says the National Eye Institute. This often results from a lazy eye, an eye that does not point straight ahead, but, instead turns up, down or to one side. Some children with amblyopia, however, have no noticeable symptoms. If left untreated, amblyopia will result in permanent decreased vision in the affected eye. A common treatment involves patching the best eye, forcing the low-vision eye with amblyopia to work and focus on objects.
Retinoschisis
Genetic makeup predisposes some people to certain degenerative eye diseases. Retinoschisis affects the cells in the macula, the spot on the back of the eye responsible for the clear central vision used for reading and face recognition. Cysts form and damage the sensitive nerve layer at the back of the eye. This condition affects men, with the first signs of the disease appearing in early childhood, says the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. Retinoschisis will distort vision to varying degrees. The disease may also affect the side vision, and in, some cases, result in retinal detachments.
During a routine eye examination, a doctor may detect the changes caused by retinoschisis. Doctors do not have a way to treat the condition, and, since vision loss occurs from damage to the eye, an eye glasses prescription will not improve vision.
Rod-Cone Dystrophy
Children may have a condition called rod-cone dystrophy, a disorder that affects the rods and cones of the retina, the back lining of the inner eye. The rods and cones detect color, light, details and movement. Rod-cone dystrophy will cause a person to lose detailed vision, color vision, night vision, says the California Department of Education and School for the Blind. A person with the disorder will lose the ability to see movement and objects in her side vision. The changes in vision will lead to permanent and untreatable vision loss.
