Ophthalmologists with Norton Children’s diagnose and treat all types of ocular (eye) conditions in children. Norton Children’s offers one of the country’s few ocular oncology programs. We provide a broad spectrum of services, from eye cancer care to consultations, routine eye exams, evaluations and surgery.

When Should My Child See a Pediatric Ophthalmologist?

Your child’s primary care provider or pediatrician may notice that your child is having trouble seeing or signs of a vision condition. He or she may refer your child to a pediatric ophthalmologist. If you notice an issue with your child’s vision, you can take your child to an ophthalmologist. If your family has a history of eye conditions (eye tumors, childhood cataracts, lazy eye, wearing glasses), you may want to take your child to a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Pediatric ophthalmologists are specially trained to identify, treat and manage eye conditions in children. They have attended medical school (optometrists have not) and completed one year of medical or surgical internship, an ophthalmology residency and a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology. They can perform surgery, microsurgery and laser surgery, and are trained to care for the most complex eye conditions.

Collaboration With UofL Physicians for Your Child’s Care

We work with providers from UofL Physicians to provide highly skilled care for your child. Norton Children’s Hospital serves as the primary pediatric teaching facility for the University of Louisville School of Medicine. These doctors are professors and active researchers helping to advance medical care in the 21st century through clinical research and education.

The Norton Children’s Difference

With a 125-year presence in Louisville, Norton Children’s is a leader in pediatric care across Kentucky and Southern Indiana, providing an expanded footprint that includes:

• Norton Children’s Hospital – The region’s only full-service, free-standing pediatric hospital and Louisville’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. Norton Children’s Hospital also has one of the largest Level IV (highest level) neonatal intensive care units in the country.
• Numerous regional outpatient centers and extensive pediatrician and pediatric specialist offices throughout the area.
• Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital– The only women’s hospital in Louisville, providing care dedicated to the needs of women and children.
• Norton Children’s Medical Center – A unique regional outpatient facility designed “Just for Kids,” brings pediatric care to northeastern Jefferson County and the surrounding area.

Norton Children’s Offers Specialized Programs and Services, Including:

• Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville, and the Addison Jo Blair Cancer Care Center, which is one of the oldest oncology programs in the U.S. and continuously accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
• Norton Children’s Heart & Vascular Institute, affiliated with the University of Louisville, a pioneer in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Norton Children’s heart transplant surgeons performed Kentucky’s first heart transplant in a newborn in 1986, making the hospital the second site in the United States for infant transplants. Norton Children’s Hospital will be home to the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (expected completion in 2019).
• Pediatric neurology and neurosurgery, including a Level 3 epilepsy center
• Orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation
• The Wendy Novak Diabetes Center