Blog vol 3. 14. “My child’s eyesight is just fine.”
I have heard this statement way too many times. In 2018, McMaster University released a paper about the need and validity of vision screening for elementary school children (read
here).
What the paper did not discuss is that this screening process is the lowest possible level of care. To their credit, the researchers were addressing a huge need in the community, but there are more thorough, effective ways of catching visual problems in children.
One of the physicians on the research team had a child with amblyopia, or a lazy eye, into their first years of school before it was diagnosed. Unfortunately, this happens way too often. Why? Government-funded eye exams are available for all Ontario children.
How did this physician’s child get missed? The false assumption that the child’s screening at baby wellness visits is sufficient care.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends a child’s first eye exam be at 6 months of age. Even I was skeptical, this sounds over the top, but the earlier problems are caught, the better the prognosis. Children develop so much, so fast, you want to assure a solid foundation. Good vision is part of that foundation.
In 2019, Burlington Eyecare started seeing children at 6 months and annually after that. We have made a concerted effort to inform parents and grandparents about the importance of this preventative care.
Now, we get little ones at 6 months, we can objectively check their eye prescription, check how their eyes work together, and on most occasions, with a little creativity, can get a good look inside their eyes to check health.
Yes, we have picked up those children that require more attention, and picked it up real early. If the child is doing well, we counsel the parents on what things to look for, how to protect their child’s eyes, and also stress the need for regular eye exams. We suggest scheduling their next visit before they leave.
In a perfect world, every child will go through this process. This is where the vision screening process will help, to prevent children falling through the cracks. If you have not had your child’s eyes checked, do not fret, get them into an optometrist’s office. No better time than just before school.
til next week,
the good doctor
