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Your Child Need Glasses
If, however, a child does not use his or her eyes normally, vision does not develop properly and may even decrease. After the first nine years of life, the visual system is usually fully developed and usually can not be changed. For these reasons, it's a good idea for parents - especially those with a history of specific eye conditions and diseases - and those who wear glasses, to be aware of any indication that a toddler is having trouble seeing. Eye Exam if you suspect that your child is having difficulties with his or her eyes make an appointment to your doctor. Even if your child doesn't know the alphabet, they can be tested using numbers or pictures of familiar objects. You can do an informal test at home to see if your child's difficulties are real or imagined, especially if he or she is too young to complain of eye strain, read or play video games. Also, because the eye is rich with blood vessels, lots of other physical ailments -- including high blood pressure and diabetes -- can often be detected during a routine eye exam. For toddlers, who have a harder time explaining particular physical difficulties, even simple vision problems can go untreated - and escalate. Certain eye conditions and diseases do affect small children and are best treated at an early age so that the problems associated with them do not progress. Does Your Child Need Glasses? Only one in five preschoolers currently undergoes vision screening. But many more have eye problems that make it difficult for them to appreciate the world around them. Does your youngster need glasses? True or false? My child...
Between 6 and 12 months, the red reflex and corneal light reflex tests are performed again, and the physician will carry out an occlusion of each eye separately. In this test, the physician will place a patch or a hand over each eye in turn and see how the baby reacts. If the baby has a weak eye, he or she will presumably show some sign of discomfort or annoyance when the stronger eye is covered, limiting vision. At this age a "fixation and following" test is also performed. The next series of vision screenings is performed at approximately 3 years of age. Again the red reflex and corneal light reflexes are tested, and a "visual acuity" test will also be carried out. Doctors stress that it is very important that the child be made aware that no matter how he or she performs on these tests, it is OK. The parents and physician should make equally sure that the child does not peek while taking this exam. If your toddler does have an eye condition and glasses are suggested to you by your opthalmologist, there are a number of things to consider that will probably ease the process for both you and your toddler. Wearing glasses will take some getting used to, and supportive and encouraging behavior on the part of the parents and older siblings is really important. Why are glasses prescribed for children? Glasses are prescribed for children to improve vision, to prevent and treat amblyopia (lazy eye), or to correct eye muscle problems. More specifically, glasses may be required for: 1: Myopia (short-sightedness) Light rays entering the eye focus in front of the receptor cells in the retina. Myopes may see clearly at near but are blurred at distance. 2: Hyperopia (long-sightedness) Light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina. The eye has to exert extra focusing power to see clearly at distance and even more so at near. If the hyperopia is large then the eye may not be able to focus the image clearly at all. Most young children have mild degrees of hyperopia. 3: Astigmatism Light rays entering the eye focus at different places. It is caused by an irregular surface of the eye. Instead of being perfectly round, the surface of the eye is shaped like a rugby ball lying on its side and is more curved in one plane than the other. 4: Refractive Esotropia There is a link between the focusing muscle in the eye and the muscles which draw the eyes together as we look at a near object. Some children with hyperopia are required to exert so much focusing power in their eyes that their eyes turn in. This refractive esotropia may be fully correctable with glasses. How are glasses prescribed? A prescription is given for each eye. The higher the first number on the prescription, the greater the correction required in the lens. A plus sign in front of the first number indicates a hyperopic prescription while a minus sign indicates a myopic prescription. The prescription is taken to an optometrist or optician who will prepare the lenses. What type of lenses are the best? Glass lenses should be avoided in children because they are more likely to break. Plastic or polycarbonate lenses are lighter and safer but they scratch more easily. The lenses must be made with a scratch-resistant hard coating. What kind of frames are suitable for children? The frame you choose for your child should be comfortable, safe, sturdy, and attractive. Whenever possible, purchase the glasses from an optometrist interested in working with children, and ask for a recommendation on the most suitable frame style for your child's facial features, age, prescription power and activities. Enquire about a frame guarantee, as these may be available on certain frames. Some frames can be fitted with clip-on sunglasses. They are not essential, but sunglasses are advisable for all children on bright days. Normal adult ear pieces are usually unsuitable for children and adjustments should be made so the glasses will sit more securely. For infants, straps may need to be substituted for ear-pieces to help keep the glasses in place. Flexible hinges are advisable as children tend to be careless when removing their glasses and flexible hinges tolerate a lot more abuse. If the child is old enough, let him or her help select the frame, but follow your optometrist's advice about size and fit as a child will not wear uncomfortable glasses. How can I keep glasses on my child? It is most important that parents are positive about the glasses. They should not make a big fuss about them but they must encourage the child to believe that the glasses suit him/her. If your child is an infant or toddler, distract him/her after you have put on the glasses. If your child removes them, then replace them immediately. If the child removes them again, then put them aside for a short time and then try again. You must be patient but persistent in having the child wear the glasses. Should my child wear glasses all the time? Usually when a child is prescribed glasses it is because the child needs to wear them all the time. Some children have amblyopia (lazy eye) with poor development of the visual pathways to the brain because the image into the eye has been blurred. In this situation it is essential that the child wears the glasses all the time so that the brain can learn to recognize clear images. If one eye is more long or short sighted than the other, and sees more poorly even with the glasses then the better eye may need to be patched (covered up) for part of each day in order to build the vision in the lazy eye. How do I care for my child's glasses? Children should be taught to remove their glasses using both hands without twisting the frame. They should keep them in a protective case and not put them face down on any surface. Use water or liquid soap and a soft cloth to clean them and avoid rough paper towels or tissues. If the glasses are damaged or badly scratched take them back to your optometrist for repair or replacement. Children's glasses usually need to be readjusted every few months; more frequently than for adults.
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