HELP PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN'S EYES

According to Prevent Blindness America (PBA), more than 12 million school-aged children, or one in four suffer from some form of vision impairment.

It is important to realize that vision problems can begin at an early age; and therefore, it is imperative that children receive proper eye care. Because it is possible for your child to have a serious vision problem without you being aware of it, infants should be screened for common eye problems during their regular pediatric appointments and vision testing should be conducted for all children starting at around three years of age. If there is a family history of eye problems or if a problem is apparent, consult your Eye M.D. immediately. Vision problems in children can be serious, but if caught in time and treated early, your child's vision can be protected.

Among the conditions that effect children are:
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
- Strabismus (crossed eyes)
- Ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid)
- Color deficiency (color blindness)
- Refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism).

Aside from vision threatening conditions, eye screenings for children are important because vision changes can occur without you or your child noticing them. If your child is having trouble seeing the blackboard or trouble seeing the words in a book, consult your Eye M.D. for further evaluation.

WHAT CAN A PARENT DO TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN'S EYES ARE HEALTHY?

Watch for the following signs:

What do your child's eyes look like?
• Eyes don't line up, one eye appears crossed or looks out
• Eyelids are red-rimmed, crusted or swollen
• Eyes are watery or red (inflamed)

How does your child act?
• Rubs eyes a lot
• Closes or covers one eye
• Tilts head or thrusts head forward
• Has trouble reading or doing other close-up work, or holds objects close to eyes to see
• Blinks more than usual or seems cranky when doing close-up work
• Things are blurry or hard to see
• Squints eyes or frowns

What does your child say?
• "My eyes are itchy," "my eyes are burning" or "my eyes feel scratchy."
• "I can't see that very well."
• After doing close-up work, your child says "I feel dizzy," "I have a headache"
or "I feel sick/nauseous." "Everything looks blurry," or "I see double."

Eye Injuries: Leading Cause of Vision Loss in Children

1. Eye injuries are one of the leading causes of vision loss in children.

• There are an estimated 42,000 sports-related eye injuries each year and the majority of them happen to children
• You can protect your child's eyes from sports-related injuries by making sure he or she wears appropriate protective eyewear when playing sports such as water/pool activities, baseball and basketball. Check with your Eye M.D. for information on protective eyewear for your child's sport.
• Common household items such as glues and cleaning supplies also cause thousands of eye injuries. Keep potentially dangerous household items out of reach of smaller children.
• Make sure toys and games are appropriate for your child's age and maturity level. A child's eyes can be severely injured by toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts.
  

2. One of the best ways to ensure your child keeps his or her good vision throughout life is to set a good health example.

• Set a good example by always wearing protective eyewear when playing sports, working in the yard, using harsh chemicals or working on the car.
• Do not use or allow children to use fireworks. Take your family to a professional firework show.
• Set a good health example - have eye exams (and other health exams) at recommended intervals. It shows to your child that his or her body is worth taking care of and that preventive medicine is the best medicine.