Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan

Paediatric ophthalmology specialises in diagnosing and treating eye conditions in children, such as congenital eye diseases, strabismus (misaligned eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye), and refractive errors. These specialists provide comprehensive eye care tailored to children's developmental needs, ensuring early detection and intervention for healthy vision.

Adult squint, or strabismus, occurs when the eyes do not align properly. Although often associated with children, it affects about 4% of adults and can be caused by a range of factors.

In adults with a squint, one eye looks straight while the other may drift inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards, leading to symptoms such as double vision, eye strain, headaches, reduced depth perception, and blurred vision. The visible misalignment can also impact social interactions and self-confidence.

Early diagnosis and treatment of adult squint can significantly improve vision and quality of life. At Moorfields Eye Hospitals Dubai and Abu Dhabi, our expert team uses advanced techniques to effectively diagnose and treat adult squint.

About Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) in Children

Amblyopia, also known as a ‘lazy eye’, is a childhood condition where a child’s eyesight does not develop in the way it should. The problem is usually just in one eye but can sometimes affect both. If a child has weaker vision in one eye, the brain prefers to use the stronger eye and therefore the visual pathway is not stimulated enough and amblyopia develops.

About Paediatric Tear Duct Treatment

The tear duct is a channel/passage which runs from a tiny opening in the medial lids through the bone to the inside of the nose, and drains the tears and mucus the eye produces. It should open just before or just after birth but sometimes remains blocked for a considerable time after that, causing watering and discharge from the eye. It is harmless, and does not affect the health of the eye or the vision, although it can make the eyelids red and sore and slightly increases the frequency of infective conjunctivitis. The only potentially serious consequence is acute dacryocystitis, which is very unusual.

Most cases resolve with time and can be safely left to do so. Intervention is not normally considered under 1 year and even after that time, spontaneous resolution is still the most likely scenario. The procedure does not have to be done and the decision is the parents. The likelihood of probing success starts to decrease markedly after age 4 years.

The aim of lacrimal probing is to open or widen the tear duct in order to reduce or eliminate watering and discharge

About Progressive Myopia in Children

Myopia or short-sightedness is the difficulty in seeing objects far away. This difficulty is because the light is not correctly focusing on the retina. It is a common eye condition and can progress as the child grows.

About Retinopathy of Prematurity in Children

Retinopathy of Prematurity (also called ROP) is an eye disease that affects many premature babies. ROP happens when a baby’s retina doesn’t fully develop in the weeks after birth.  As a consequence of premature birth, abnormal blood vessels are formed, which are fragile and can leak, scarring the retina and pulling it out of position. This causes a retinal detachment, which is the main cause of visual impairment and blindness in ROP. Some cases of ROP are mild and correct themselves, however, others require surgery to prevent vision loss or blindness. Surgery involves using a laser or other means to stop the growth of the abnormal blood vessels, making sure they don’t pull on the retina. As ROP has no signs or symptoms, the only way to detect it is through an eye examination by an ophthalmologist.

About Cataracts in Children

We all have a natural lens inside the eye that helps us to see clearly. The lens should be transparent like a clean crystal but a cataract makes the lens cloudy. Paediatric cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye is cloudy, either partially or completely. It can be a congenital condition, present at the time of birth or acquired later, developing after the birth. A cloudy lens can occur in one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral).

A cataract is a condition in which the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, hindering the transmission of light rays to the retina. This leads to blurred, hazy vision or, in severe instances, loss of sight.