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Do they need glasses?

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It's a question a lot of parents ask themselves, and for good reason. More than twenty percent of children in New Zealand have vision problems that can seriously affect their learning abilities.

Most parents don't give much thought to their children's vision until there are warning signs, but prevention could save a lot of headaches later. A lot of doctors say that a child should first be seen by your family eye doctor at about six months, and then again when your child's eyes have finished growing, which is at about three or four years old. Your child's eyes should be checked again before they start kindergarten and then every year after that, to be sure that their vision is developing properly. Talk to your Plunket nurse or doctor if you are concerned about your baby or toddler's vision

Warning signs to look for

Between regular eye exams, there are some warning signs to look for. If you notice any warning signs, you should get your child to the eye doctor as soon as possible.

Your child complains of headaches, or rubs his/her eyes a lot. This could be a sign of eyestrain, which could be corrected with glasses.
The way your child holds a book can be a good indicator of vision problems. If the child squints, or holds the book away from their face, they could be nearsighted or farsighted, which can easily be corrected with glasses.
One of your children's eyes seems to fall out of alignment with the other. This could mean lazy eye and if corrected early enough, your child may not need to wear an eye patch in elementary school.
Your child closes one eye when looking at things. This could be a sign of several vision deficiency including astigmatism.

Getting your child in the optometrist's chair

The most important thing as a parent to do with concerns about vision problems is to have your child see the eye doctor regularly. If you start at a young age, your child will see that this is nothing to worry about. An eye exam is usually a very quick and pain free experience. If your child does require glasses, help them pick out some frames that they like, so that they will be more willing to wear them. If your child needs some other form of vision care, such as a patch, make sure your child does everything the doctor suggests so that the problem can be corrected. Not all vision problems require glasses, but all vision problems should be addressed by a doctor or optometrist.

by Rachel Goodchild

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Eye Exams recommended by NZ Optometrist
Written by kjensen, on 07-02-2009 09:09
As a New Zealand qualified and registered Optometrist, I endorse this article as recommendation to have your child's eyes examined.
The first 6-8 years of a child's life is the 'critical' developmental period for their visual and ocular system. Thus, by detecting and correcting a vision defect within this period, decreases the chance of the child developing amblyopia. Amblyopia refers to a loss of vision which can not be corrected with glasses and usually results from delay in correcting problems during childhood.
In my experience, children and their parents are often unaware of a vision problem, as the child does not realise that how they see, is not normal. I find it rewarding as an eye care professional to be able to enhance a child's quality of life and learning by correcting their vision problems.
If cost is an issue, a government subsidy exists for those with a community service care and high user health card. In my practice I offer alternate payment methods.
Kristine Jensen, B Optom

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