Keeping our children safe, healthy, and happy is one of the ultimate goals as a parent. Whether it’s bundling them up in the winter, lathering them with sunscreen in the summer, or reminding them for the millionth time to look both ways before crossing the street, parents are ever vigilant when it comes to their kids. That’s why it’s so important for parents to be as informed as possible about their child’s eyesight. Vision can be tricky and difficult to understand at times, especially in young children who can’t explain what’s happening with their eyes. Luckily, we put together a bit of a crash course when it comes to your child’s eyesight. Read on to learn about the top things you need to know.
The first step to ensuring your child has healthy vision is to partake in routine medical and eye exams. For newborns, this should be done with every doctor visit as they grow and their eyes continue to develop. Once they reach 3 ½, eye exams continue to test acuity and eye health to ensure that the child is maintaining healthy vision. By age 5, children will participate in routine eye exams at school and in their doctor’s office. If there seems to be an issue with their vision, the next step is to visit an eye doctor to figure out exactly what’s going on and what the best course of action would be. Should your child need prescription glasses, they should go for annual routine check ups with their eye doctor.
Children aren’t always the best at vocalizing what’s wrong with them. As parents, it’s important to take that into consideration and look for physical telltale signs of vision problems, especially at a young age. This can include persistent eye rubbing, excessive tearing, light sensitivity, poor following ability, persistent red eyes, and more. In school age children, the signs become more noticeable since the child can begin to tell you something is wrong. Some of the signs for this age group would be squinting, difficulty reading, inability to see objects at a distance, not being able to see what the teacher is writing, and more. If you feel that your child is exhibiting any of these behaviors, then it may be time to bring them for an eye exam.
We understand you want nothing but the best and easiest life for your child, so it’s natural to feel concerned when the doctor says that they need prescription glasses. Well, we’re here to ensure you that it’s okay. In fact, it’s estimated that over 75% of Americans will, at some point, wear prescription or reading glasses during their life. People of all ages, even infants, may need glasses for a variety of different reasons, but it’s nothing to fear. If your child does need glasses, try making it an exciting experience for them. Let them pick out their own frames, tell them that this will help them see better, and tell them they look cool! For children two and under, we recommend plastic frames to avoid breaking, and for kids of all ages shatterproof and durable frames and lenses are always a good idea. Glasses could be a potentially life changing thing for your children, and it will only help them in the long run.
If your child has a vision problem, it’s important to understand that it may not only affect their vision. Vision problems in children can come with a plethora of other side effects that you may not even think about. In fact, untreated vision problems are one of the main causes of children struggling in school. They may not be able to see the board or read the books, but not know how to explain why they’re struggling. It may also cause headaches, irritability, tiredness, and other issues. If you think your child may be experiencing vision problems, check with an eye doctor as soon as possible.
You want the best for your children, so why settle for anything but the best eye care? Marano Eye Care has been one of the top rated eye doctors in New Jersey for decades and is committed to providing excellent service and results to our patients. We offer a variety of different services for people of all ages at all three of our convenient locations. Regardless of what condition you may be suffering from, our doctors will be able to examine you and give the best course of action for your vision health. Contact us today to set up your first appointment. Trust Marano and you’ll be happy with the results, just wait and see!
