A recent study by the College of Optometrists revealed that around one in five children have visual problems and that more than two-thirds of these are not receiving professional care. A child’s eyesight is fully formed by the age of seven or eight so it is important that any problems are detected early to avoid a lifelong visual handicap.
A child’s eye sight is a precious thing. Children who don’t see well rarely complain about their vision. They may believe that images are supposed to be blurry if they have never seen them any other way, so parents must be extra vigilant. Many children fall behind at school because of an undetected vision problem. Even the smallest of problems, such as simple short-sightedness, can have a serious impact on a child’s developmental progress.
Your child’s first eye check is usually a post-natal check at 1 year. They should then be re-examined by an optometrist before they start learning to read or start school, whichever is earlier. This will pick up any problems that may lead to poor development. Your child’s vision can change rapidly as their eyes develop, so regular eye examinations are important for your child’s sight and health.
Many eye conditions are hereditary, so if there is a family history of eye problems, it is advisable to have your children's eyes examined on a regular basis (every 6-12 months).
Children do have their eyes checked at school but these tests are not usually carried out by an eye care expert. These examinations do not have the same level of thoroughness as professional tests carried out by an optometrist and they run the risk of missing more subtle problems.
The most common problem in children is amblyopic or lazy eye. If this is left untreated it can result in permanent loss of sight. However, if it is detected before the age of seven or eight the problem can be addressed most effectively.
Other vision problems include long-sightedness and astigmatism. In the former case, the child sees clearly but at the expense of strain on the eye muscles. This strain might lead to headaches and a lack of interest in doing close work like reading.
All children are entitled to a free Eye Examination from the NHS every 2 years. If the optometrist prescribes spectacles, they will also issue a voucher from the NHS to help towards the cost of the spectacles. Also, the child will then be recalled for another free eye test from then on in at least one-yearly intervals until adulthood. See the NHS section for further details.
There is a common misconception that a child’s eyes can’t be tested until they are able to read. There are in fact a number of tests that can be performed on children before they can read to find out what is causing a problem.
Before the examination begins, the optometrist will ask the parent or guardian about the child’s symptoms and his or her developmental history. He will also establish if there is a history of squint or any other vision or ocular problems in the family. During the first part of the examination, the child is asked to identify a number of objects that the optometrist presents to him on cards. These objects include pictures such as a house, an apple, a circle and a cat. A similar but smaller chart is used to measure near vision.
Next, the optometrist will use an instrument called an ophthalmoscope to check the health of the inside and outside of the child’s eyes. The optometrist will then carry out a retinoscopy which will give him an idea of the need for glasses and the power of the lens required. He will shine a light into the child’s eye and observe the light that is reflected back from it.
If these tests indicate that the child will need glasses, the prescription is put into a trial frame and the child is asked to look at the pictures and letters again to record the improvement.
The instances of near-sightedness among children have increased dramatically in recent years. According to some experts, this is largely due to the popularity of computer games and hand held toys. Most children now use a computer, either at school or in the home.
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) occurs as a result of prolonged staring at computer images. Computer stations are not really designed for children’s use. They often need to sit closer to the screen which challenges their focusing mechanism.
Children should sit at least 18 inches from the screen and their time in front of a computer should be limited to no more than one hour per day. Ideally, they should take a break after 30 minutes to give their eyes a rest.
Kids can really like wearing glasses now, so it is important that the child is allowed to choose frames that he or she likes so that they are happy to wear them.
Not only is it important that the frames suit the child’s face, but also that the lens shape and size is suitable for his or her prescription. For instance, high prescriptions have thicker lenses and are best in small frames.
Optical Revolution offers a range of glasses for kids which are completely covered by the NHS voucher so kids go completely free.
If your child is long-sighted, they may only need glasses for a short while, in order to control the symptoms of the prescription, until their eye is fully developed. However, if your child is short-sighted it is likely that they will always need to wear glasses. In this case it is very likely that they will be able to wear Contact Lenses.
Parents should keep a watchful eye out for these 13 signals that a child's vision could need correction:
