Although most parents are quite vigilant about taking care of their children’s health and teeth, many are unaware of the importance of proper eye care for children. Many wait until their child is talking or even until they are school age to arrange an eye exam, thinking that testing would be impossible without an ability to speak or read the eye chart.
However, experts in ophthalmology suggest that a child have his first eye exam between the ages of six months and one year. At this time, the doctor can diagnose such conditions as amblyopia, lazy eye, and strabismus, crossed eyes. Early intervention and treatments, such as surgery, patches and glasses, work well to treat these conditions before they have any effect on the child’s development.
If no vision problems are found during the first vision examination, a child should be taken for a comprehensive eye exam every two years. This is not the same as a screening similar to that given at school. While this is an excellent indicator of problems, proper eye care for children involves a check of their ability to focus, their ability to see at both near and far distances, and a check to see if their eyes are in alignment. The doctor will probably also do a measurement of the cornea and take a medical history for use in the future.
It is extremely important that children receive proper eye care at a young age because these developmental years are the foundation for future learning. Parents should watch for and report any sign of vision difficulties to their eye doctor. These might include sitting close the television, pulling a book closer to their face than normal, or leaning in to see a picture. Other signals for needed intervention include headaches, squinting or tearing, and difficulty doing school work.
Early intervention for vision difficulties can keep a child from falling behind his peers on the learning curve. By interceding early enough, parents can assure that proper eye care will keep their children from missing skills due to a lack of visual acuity that will make later leaning more arduous.
If you are a worried parent or just need more advice on proper eye for children then please call us or visit or premises in Ogden.
Tags: eye care for children, Where is there an optician in Ogden
