Children's Vision Month

F rom tots to teens, it's crucial to keep an eye on kids' changing vision needs. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that babies have their first eye exam between six and nine months old and again by age three. After that, children should have eye exams every two years if they don't wear glasses and every year if they have a current prescription. Manitoba Health covers these exams until they are 19. Optometrists can measure babies' prescriptions even before they can talk, notes Dr. Irene Mestito-Dao of Henderson Vision Centre. "They are looking to see if your babies eyes are aligned and whether there is an excessive or unqualified prescription in the two eyes," she said. "Babies' eyes will be tested for excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, eye movement ability, as well as other eye health problems, all in a way that will put you both at ease." To encourage healthy vision skills in babies, Mestito-Dao recommends keeping 'reach and touch' toys within their focusing distance of 20 to 30 centimetres. Parents can also hang visually stimulating mobiles over cribs or change tables. Black and white options are proven favourites. As babies grow into toddlers, their vision becomes more co-ordinated. "Active play and normal toddler games help strengthen your child's vision as eye-hand co-ordination and depth perception continue to develop," Mestito-Dao said. "Your child is now developing the vision skills necessary to use both eyes together, to judge distances and manipulate their surroundings with greater accuracy. Learning to see efficiently and effectively requires full co-ordination between your child's two eyes." With preschool-aged children, parents should watch for signs of vision development problems, such as a short attention span for the child's age. Some kids might have difficulty with hand-body co- ordination in ball play or bike riding. They might also avoid colouring, puzzles and other detail-oriented activities. To help a preschooler's vision develop, parents can read aloud while the child looks at the book. They can also encourage imaginative play with a chalkboard, finger paints and different shaped blocks. As well, caregivers can provide safe opportunities for wee ones to use playground equipment such as jungle gyms and balance beams. When it comes to school-aged children, one out of four kids has a visual problem, said Mestito-Dao. Since classroom learning is 80-per-cent visual, these problems can have a huge impact. "If your child is having any visual problems, they will likely try to compensate. This could result in frustration, headaches, fatigue and other eye strain symptoms," she said. "Children rarely complain of vision problems or are aware of them. They may also appear to see perfectly well, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everything is OK. Look for everyday signs that your child may need help with their vision and ensure that they have a regular eye health checkup." Nearsightedness and farsightedness are often caught around age seven or eight when kids begin reading. However, if they start reading sooner or if they come for eye exams earlier, these conditions could be caught at a younger age. "If we can teach them to see better, we can avoid the glasses being as strong or needing the glasses as permanently as would happen if you wait until they're very symptomatic," Mestito-Dao said. For tweens and teens, computers and electronics can become more of an issue as usage increases. "At any age, the use of electronics causes additional eyestrain and fatigue, causing children to become symptomatic at an earlier age than we used to see," Mestito-Dao said. "The closer the visual target, the more they strain their eyes, which is why symptoms get worse as they start to use more hand-held devices." As a result, eye strain can cause kids to lose focus in school. "If kids strain too much, they're eventually going to stop trying. Some students don't get glasses until Grade 5. Meanwhile, they've not been paying attention in class for the past five years. You can imagine how that might affect them school-wise," Mestito-Dao said. "Overall, the key point is that kids really should be tested by age three. When they have an eye exam, we can catch a lot of visual issues before they become a problem." Children rarely complain of vision problems or are aware of them. October 18 Children's Vision Month 2014 3 Saturday, October 18 | Supplement to the Winnipeg Free Press Focus on kids' changing vision needs By Jennifer McFee For the Free Press

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