Importance of vision testing in children

A child’s vision and overall eye health is vital to learning.

Laservision Eye Care Center joins the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association  in emphasizing the importance of healthy vision to our children achieving academic success. Because children eyes are still growing, being vigilant about eye health is important. The earlier problems are identified; the sooner they can be addressed.

For healthy eyes and vision throughout the school year. We recommend that you follow the following four tips:

• Get regular childhood vision screenings – Since children’s eyes can change rapidly, getting regular checkups is an important step in detecting and correcting eye problems early. In addition to screenings for infants, further vision screening for children is recommended when they are:

• Pre-school age, (between age 3 and 3 ½ )

• Entering school

• Experiencing a possible vision problem

For school-age children, a vision screening, which is less comprehensive than a dilated eye examination by an eye doctor, can be performed by a pediatrician, family physician, nurse or trained technician during regular checkups. If the screening detects a problem, the child may need to see the eye doctor.

• Know and share your family eye health history – Everyone should find out whether eye conditions or diseases run in their family. Parents should share that information with the person performing the screening when possible. Examples of common eye conditions include nearsightedness, crossed eye, known as strabismus, and lazy eye known as amblyopia. If these are not treated in childhood, they can cause permanent vision loss in one eye.   

• Watch for signals of eye problems – Parents should be alert to symptoms that could indicate an eye or vision problem, such as complaints of eyestrain, headaches and squinting when reading or performing other common activities. Other symptoms to look for include a white or grayish-white coloring in the pupil, one eye that turns in or out, or eyes that do not track in sync together.

• Wear protective eyewear when playing sports – Eye injuries while playing sports can cause serious damage, whether by getting smacked with an elbow during basketball or hit with a hockey stick. If your child plays racket sports, hockey, field hockey, baseball or basketball, consider having them wear goggles or other certified protective eyewear.