Eye exams for children
Every year, thousands of children are sent off to their very first day of preschool or kindergarten.
This day is often met with mixed feelings from both parents and children - fear, excitement, uncertainty.
Sending kids off to school with healthy vision can make a world of difference in how they adjust to this new experience. Undetected vision problems can affect how well a child performs in the classroom.
In fact, children with vision problems are often misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities.
According to the National Eye Institute, nationwide, two to five percent of children ages three to five have amblyopia, three to four percent have strabismus, and 10-15 percent have significant refractive error.
Additionally, vision problems can negatively impact learning and school performance, as 80 percent of learning in young children is done visually.
That's why Prevent Blindness America has designated August as Children's Eye Health and Safety Month in an effort to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of vision care for children.
Prevent Blindness America and its network of field offices screen millions of children every year in pre-schools and elementary schools and refer more than 12 percent for possible vision problems.
One of the more serious conditions is lazy eye (amblyopia), a sight-threatening problem in children.
Any underlying condition that causes the brain to receive images of unequal quality in the two eyes (such as one eye focuses better than the other) can cause amblyopia.
The earlier the condition is detected and treated, the greater the likelihood of success.
Every child, even those with no signs of trouble, should have their eyes checked at various times. Doctors believe newborn infants should have their eyes checked while still in the hospital nursery. This examination can help detect several congenital eye problems, some of which can be very serious and permanently threaten vision.
What can a parent do to help ensure that their children's eyes are healthy?
Look out for the following signs.
What do your child's eyes look like?
- Eyes don't line up, one eye appears crossed or looks out.
- Eyelids are red-rimmed, crusted or swollen.
- Eyes are watery or red (inflamed).
How does your child act?
- Rubs eyes a lot.
- Closes or covers one eye.
- Tilts head or thrusts head forward.
- Has trouble reading or doing other close-up work, or holds objects close to eyes to see.
- Blinks more than usual or seems cranky when doing close-up work.
- Things are blurry or hard to see.
- Squints eyes or frowns.
What does your child say?
- "My eyes are itchy," "my eyes are burning" or "my eyes feel scratchy."
- "I can't see that very well."
- After doing close-up work, your child says "I feel dizzy," "I have a headache" or "I feel sick/nauseous."
- "Everything looks blurry," or "I see double."
All eye care professionals recommend that any child experiencing vision problems or exhibiting symptoms of eye trouble, should receive a comprehensive professional eye examination regardless of the results of screenings or other eye checks.
However, remember that your child may still have an eye problem even if he or she does not complain or has not shown any physical signs.
Recognize Children's Eye Health and Safety Month this month by scheduling an eye examination today.
Remember, too, eye safety.
Believe it or not, the average home is full of dangers that go unnoticed. In fact, household products cause more than 32,000 serious injuries each year.
Most important, 90 percent of these eye injures can be prevented through understanding, safety practices and the use of proper eye protection.
Follow this Home Eye Safety list from Prevent Blindness America.
- Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
- Provide lights and handrails to improve safety on stairs.
- Pad or cushion sharp corners and edges of furnishing and home fixtures.
- Install cabinet and drawer locks in kitchens and bathrooms.
- Leave personal-use items (cosmetics, toiletry products), kitchen utensils and desk supplies where they are not easily accessible to children.
- Inspect and remove debris from lawns before mowing.
- Use occupant restraints such as infant and child safety seats, booster seats, safety belts and shoulder harnesses in cars.
- Avoid toys with sharp or rigid points, shafts, spikes, rods and dangerous edges.
- Keep toys intended for older children away from younger children.
- Use guards on all power equipment.
- Wear chemical safety goggles when using hazardous solvents and detergents.
- Read and follow all manufacturer instructions and warning labels.
- Do not mix cleaning agents.
- Know that regular eyeglasses don't always provide enough protection.
- Keep paints, pesticides, fertilizers and similar products properly stored in a secure area.
- Avoid flying toys and projectile-firing toys; these pose a danger to all children, particularly those under five years old.
- Beware of items in playgrounds and play areas that pose potential eye hazards.
- Keep your tools in good condition; damaged tools should be repaired or replaced.
- Wear safety glasses or dust goggles to protect against flying particles, and chemical goggles to guard against exposure to fertilizers and pesticides.
