IT is never too soon to take your child for an eye examination. Opticians are there to examine children’s eyes even if the children are unable to read. Parents should take children for their first eye examination at least by the time they are three years old, especially if there is a family history of wearing glasses. To ensure your children’s eyes are healthy, here are some tips to follow:
• Always make sure there is plenty of light when your child is doing homework so they do not strain their eyes.
• Always protect your child’s sight in the sun. There is increasing evidence to suggest that over-exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can contribute to the development of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and ocular melanoma (eye cancer).
• Make sure children eat their greens. Eating yellow fruits and green vegetables that contain substances called lutein and zeaxanthin may help protect against some eye conditions, in particular cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
• If your child is computer crazy or a bookworm, ensure that he or she takes regular breaks from such close work. Although there is no conclusive evidence to suggest either activity causes visual problems, they can certainly lead to tired, red and sore eyes.
• When your child is playing certain sports such as badminton, squash or swimming, get them to wear protective goggles so they don’t risk an eye injury.
Eye exams
• Newborns should be checked for general eye health by a pediatrician in the hospital nursery.
• High-risk newborns (including premature infants with a history of oxygen exposure after birth) and those with obvious eye irregularities should be examined by an ophthalmologist.
• Children around the age of three should undergo eye health screenings and visual vision tests.
• Children around the age of five should have their vision and eye alignment evaluated by doctors. Those who fail either test should be examined by an ophthalmologist.
• Children who wear prescription glasses or contacts should have annual checkups to screen for vision changes.
Spotting eye problems
Signs that a child may have vision problems include:
• Constant eye rubbing.
• Extreme light sensitivity.
• Poor focusing.
• Poor visual tracking (using the eyes to follow movement of an object).
• Abnormal alignment or movement of the eyes (after 6 months of age).
• Chronic redness of the eyes,
• A white pupil instead of black.
In school-age children, watch for other signs such as:
• Inability to see objects at a distance
• Inability to read the blackboard
• Squinting or crossed eyes.
• Difficulty reading.
• Sitting too close to the TV.
• Watering of eyes.
• Rubbing eyes.
• Frequent headaches.
• Lack of concentration or underachievement at school. Poor vision is very likely to cause problems with reading and writing.
Common eye problems
Several eye conditions can affect children. Most are detected by vision screening using an acuity chart during the preschool years.
• Amblyopia (lazy eye) is poor vision in an eye that appears to be normal. Two common causes are squinting and a difference in the refractive error between the two eyes. If untreated, amblyopia can cause irreversible visual loss in the affected eye.
• Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes; they may turn in, out, up, or down. If the same eye is chronically misaligned, amblyopia may develop in that eye. With early detection, vision can be restored by patching the properly aligned eye, which forces the misaligned one to work. Surgery or specially-designed glasses also may help the eyes to align.
• Refractive errors mean that the shape of the eye doesn’t refract, or bend, light properly, so images appear blurred. Refractive errors also can cause eyestrain and/or amblyopia. Nearsightedness is the most common refractive error; others include farsightedness and astigmatism.
• Nearsightedness is poor distance vision (also called myopia), which is usually treated with glasses or contacts.
• Farsightedness poor near vision (also called hyperopia), which is usually treated with glasses or contacts.
• Astigmatism is imperfect curvature of the front surface of the eye, which is usually treated with glasses if it causes blurred vision or discomfort.
• Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor that usually appears in early life. The affected eye may have visual loss and whiteness in the pupil.
• Infantile cataracts can occur in newborns. A cataract is a gradual clouding of the eye’s lens. It appears as whiteness in the area of pupil.
• Congenital glaucoma in infants is a rare condition that may be inherited. The eyes appear larger and may have clouding of cornea.
Glasses and contacts lens
Do not panic if your child has been advised to wear glasses. Children of all ages — even infants — can wear glasses and contacts.
Keep the following in mind for children who wear glasses:
• Allow children to choose their own frames.
• Plastic frames without nose pads are best for children.
• An elastic strap attached to the glasses will help keep them in place for active toddlers.
• They will need encouragement from parents. It is a good idea to inform their teachers who can ensure that the child is wearing glasses constantly in school too.
• Children with severe eye problems may need special lenses called high-index lenses, which are thinner and lighter.
• Polycarbonate lenses are recommended, especially for children who play sports. Polycarbonate is a tough, transparent thermoplastic used to make thin, light lenses. However, although they’re very impact-resistant, these lenses scratch more easily than plastic lenses,
• Children around 14 may express a desire to get contact lenses for cosmetic purposes or convenience if they play sports. Allowing a child to wear contacts depends on his or her ability to insert and remove lenses properly and clean them as recommended by the doctor.
— Dr. Hajra Salar is a Jeddah-based ophthalmologist.
