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Important facts about
children’s vision:
If you think your child
can see just fine, why should you bring them in for an eye exam?
Because:
·
One out of every 4
children under the age of 15 has some form of refractive error
(near-sighted, far-sighted, or astigmatism).
Farsightedness can easily go undetected
because your child’s vision will be 20/20; however, his/her eye
muscles will be over-worked which can lead to headaches and
eyestrain.
·
One out of every 20
children have amblyopia (lazy-eye).
Amblyopia is a term that describes a healthy eye that cannot
see clearly, with or without glasses. Although the eye is
completely healthy, the visual pathway from the eye to the brain did
not develop completely, causing decreased vision. Amblyopia causes
more visual loss in the under 40 group than all the injuries, and
diseases combined in this age group.
This condition occurs during childhood and is typically due to an
eye-turn (strabismus) or an asymmetric vision prescription between
the two eyes. When discovered at an early age (preferably before 5
years old), amblyopia can be partially or completely reversed with
regular vision exercises, surgery and/or prescription glasses. As
children age, the visual system loses its plasticity and vision
improvements become difficult, if not impossible. Since
amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only, many parents and children
may be unaware of the condition. Far too many parents fail
to take their infants and toddlers in for an early comprehensive
vision examination and many children go undiagnosed until it is too
late for improvement. For this reason it is very important for
all children to have a complete eye examination before beginning
preschool.
If you think your child is too rough on glasses…
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Polycarbonate lenses
are a thin, lightweight plastic lens that is highly recommended for
all children because it is shatterproof. You will never have to
worry about these lenses shattering on impact.
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Twist frames
are a very popular (and attractive) choice for children who might be
rough on their glasses. These frames are difficult to break, or
even bend out of shape. They are not indestructible, so it
is a good idea to keep the frame’s flexible properties a secret from
the child so they do not show it to everyone they meet.
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