Parents Urged to Prioritize Children's Vision Checks Amid Undetected Problems

Parents should not overlook potential vision problems in their children, as many youngsters may be seeing differently without realizing it, according to an eye-care professional.

Tomisin Ayodele, a Dispensing Optician at Eyekon Innovation Optics Lab, stated that some children are born with vision issues, while others develop them over time. These can range from short-sightedness and long-sightedness to astigmatism, and some children may even have different levels of vision in each eye.

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The important thing is to find out what is causing the problem rather than assuming every child who wears glasses has the same condition.

"The important thing is to find out what is causing the problem rather than assuming every child who wears glasses has the same condition," Ms. Ayodele advised. She clarified that wearing glasses doesn't always indicate a serious eye problem; often, they simply correct how light focuses on the eye, enabling the child to see properly. The key, she emphasized, is early diagnosis and the correct prescription.

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What matters is finding the problem early and making sure the child gets the right prescription.

Ms. Ayodele noted a genetic component, stating that children with parents or close family members who wear glasses may be more prone to similar issues, though it's not a certainty. Conversely, a child can need glasses even without a family history, and others may have perfect vision despite their parents wearing them.

Parents should be vigilant for signs such as squinting, sitting unusually close to screens, holding books or phones very near the face, frequent eye rubbing, and complaints of headaches. Children might also struggle with tasks like copying from a board, make reading errors, or avoid activities due to poor vision. "One thing parents should remember is that children may not complain because they think the way they see is normal," Ms. Ayodele cautioned, stressing the importance of regular eye checks regardless of whether a child voices concerns.

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A child can need glasses even when nobody in the family wears them, and a child can also have perfectly good vision despite having parents who wear glasses.

Early intervention is particularly vital during a child's developing visual system. Correcting vision issues promptly with the right prescription can aid normal eye development, especially in cases of significant difference in vision between the two eyes. "So, glasses are not just about making things look clearer; in some children, they are part of helping the eyes develop normally," she explained. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness identifies uncorrected refractive errors as the most common cause of vision impairment, which are typically correctable with spectacles or contact lenses.

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One thing parents should remember is that children may not complain because they think the way they see is normal.