Israel is one of the few countries where there is preventive medicine and developmental monitoring from the age of zero to the age of 6 years that is done at Tipat Halab stations. In fact, this is the first service that young families encounter, which accompanies them, professionally, on a variety of issues such as the prevention of infectious diseases through the administration of vaccines. Early detection of health problems through routine tests. Training, counseling and guidance for additional tests as required. and training for a healthy and safe lifestyle.
Dr. Motsboy and Niyazov. Photo: Tal Ben David, medical photography / Barzilai Spokesperson
The ones who helped to identify the great potential in these meetings are the team of a children’s eye clinic managed by Dr. Mostovoy Dina and pediatric optometrist Yulia Niyazov on behalf of Barzilai Hospital, who together with the Barzilai Hospital’s health office led an innovative pilot in Sderot.
Dr. Dina Mostoboi, a senior pediatric ophthalmologist at the Barzilai Medical Center, opens a window into the reason for the birth of the project: “The first months of life are a particularly critical period in terms of normal vision development. The sense of sight is essential for the normal development of the baby both physically and physically and mentally and emotionally. In the initial stage, the brain needs a sharp and clear image that is transmitted to it from both eyes. If the brain does not receive a clear image from one of the eyes, that eye will not develop normal vision and will remain lazy. A factor that may cause lazy eye is a significant strabismus which can often be detected, but the other conditions can only be detected with a complete eye examination. The main difficulty is actually the detection, since, contrary to popular belief, babies usually do not complain about vision impairment. They learn to adapt and ignore the eye that sees much less, and manage well with one eye.”
Thus, without an examination by a professional, damage to vision may occur which, if not diagnosed in time, may cause irreversible damage, and therefore an examination is required to detect a lazy eye. Treating a lazy eye requires detection and diagnosis of the disorder at a young age, when the brain is still able to redevelop the ability to see.
Dr. Dina Mostboy. Photo: Tal Ben David, medical photography / Barzilai Spokesperson
Last year, an eye clinic for children was opened, under the management of Dr. Dina Mostoboi – a specialist in pediatric eye diseases and a surgeon at the Barzilai Medical Center. The clinic is intended for children – ages birth to 18 and is equipped with the best technologies. The new clinic is characterized by a unique approach to children, and was therefore designed accordingly to provide a comprehensive and professional response, For all issues of eye problems among children, in a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.
Lazy eye is a condition that can be treated, and through treatment vision may improve significantly. In fact, the pilot which was carried out on hundreds of babies between the ages of six months and one year was born out of the need to diagnose other vision problems such as high farsightedness in both eyes, astigmatism (cylinder), high myopia, problems with congenital anomalies of the eyeball and seeks to echo the message that the earlier the diagnosis , the degree of laziness will be lower and the chances of treatment success higher. If an eye problem is detected, it is possible to fit glasses to the child already in the first months of his life, and he will get used to them without difficulty. Screening tests at early ages make it possible to diagnose a congenital problem of the cornea, retina, lens, to diagnose and treat various types of strabismus, and sometimes to diagnose other diseases through the eyes “The better we can identify and diagnose the visual impairment – the better. Various eye problems must be corrected as early as possible. At young ages The correction is relatively easy. When the window of opportunity is getting smaller and smaller, when beyond the age of 9-10 this is impossible.”
Studies show that the prevalence of a lazy eye (Amblyopia) is about 4% of the population, who are identified as having an impairment in normal development characterized by an eye that receives an unfocused or blurry image over time and slowly becomes “lazy”. The good news is that early diagnosis, in this case by a simple examination at the milk drop clinic in the city of Sderot by a senior pediatric optometrist – Yulia Niyazov, leads to immediate treatment, which makes it possible to reach a situation where the child returns to normal vision. If these babies were not diagnosed in time, then their brains would eventually stop “relating” to the blurred eye, and their vision would be further impaired. Thus, during the critical period for the development of vision, there was no normal development of vision in one or both eyes.
Optometrist Yulia Niyazov. Photo: Tal Ben David, medical photography / Barzilai spokesmen
During the pilot which lasted for about six months and in which 520 babies between the ages of six months and one year participated, they were first diagnosed by a simple test with appropriate equipment for initial diagnosis at the milk drop station. that there is still no deep awareness of the early detection of eye problems. If a suspicion is discovered, these are referred to Dr. Dina Mostovoi, a senior pediatric ophthalmologist at the Barzilai Medical Center who comes once a month to the Drop of Milk centers for a thorough diagnosis of various problems and defects such as strabismus, eye motility problems, drooping Eyelid, myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism / cylinder, and of course “lazy eye” by examining the dilation of the pupils – the condition of the retina, the inner and back part of the eye.
It is very important to prevent the appearance of a lazy eye that requires a solution with glasses, strabismus correction or cataract surgery. The best way for prevention and early treatment is screening tests that are carried out at the milk drop stations, the health fund and the kindergartens. Therefore, it is recommended to observe routine examinations for children as much as possible, coming from families with eye problems in general and lazy eye in particular.
In collaboration with the Barzilai Medical Center