Sight is the most important of the senses children use to learn about the world. Children rarely complain of visual impairment, because it does not cause pain, and children do not know how to see properly. Parents, however, often neglect follow-up visits to the ophthalmologist. Meanwhile, uncorrected vision defects, mainly myopia, reduce motor skills, contribute to learning problems and, as a result, a decrease in self-esteem.
Visual impairment is a problem that affects over half of Polish children. The most common eye defects are astigmatism, strabismus and myopia. The latter defect is caused by genetic factors, but it can also develop as a result of looking closely at, for example, a computer or smartphone screen, as well as the intensive growth of a child, especially in the period of 4–6 and 8–14 years. It is not possible to stop the development of vision defects, but it is possible to correct them and reduce the discomfort of vision in a child, so even the youngest children should be under medical supervision.
– Children do not know how they can see perfectly and cannot tell us about it, we must be vigilant and pay attention to the first symptoms that we may notice in a child from the first months. What should we pay attention to, e.g. squinting, eye fatigue, says the news agency Newseria Biznes, Dr. Anna Maria Ambroziak, MD, an eye disease specialist at the Eye Institute.
Uncorrected vision defects cause great discomfort in everyday life and can cause problems in learning and abnormal physical development. A visually impaired student will have problems both with learning to read and with finding themselves in PE classes, as their motor skills will be significantly reduced. This may have a negative impact on the emotional development of the child, affect his self-esteem and self-confidence. Moreover, poorly corrected vision defects increase the risk of developing serious eye diseases such as glaucoma or AMD in adulthood.
– A sight defect may make a child less physically agile than it could be, enjoy a worse opinion in their environment, and adults and peers consider them less bright, less agile than they really are. A child’s low self-esteem gradually builds up. These are terrible crutches for further life – says Dr. Aleksandra Piotrowska, child psychologist, University of Warsaw.
You can influence the inhibition of the worsening of myopia by taking care of a regular break in the work of the eyes. It is worth teaching your child to do a simple exercise after each school hour, such as looking into the distance. Children should also spend at least one hour a day in natural light. To detect a visual impairment at an early stage of development, it is necessary to regularly examine the child’s eyesight, especially if the parents themselves suffer from myopia.
– I would like any screening tests to appear, so that we would know that our children should be tested at 6 months of age, even if they are healthy, at 1 year of age, and then regularly every 2 years. If the child has myopia, we must remember that sometimes the examination and adjustment of full correction will be necessary once every six months during the period of intensive growth – says Dr. Anna Maria Ambroziak.
Vision defects should not be corrected on their own, only a specialist doctor should decide about the need for correction and the choice of lenses. When choosing glasses for a toddler, it is worth following several parameters, including the quality and durability of the material from which the frames and lenses are made. In the case of children, who are often on the move, this is an extremely important factor. The weight, thickness and translucency of the lens are equally important, the lighter the glasses, the longer and more willingly your child will wear them.
– In the case of vision correction in the youngest patients, it is worth paying special attention to the appropriate durability and resistance of glasses to damage, to which they are much more vulnerable in the case of children than adults. Durable glasses provide both comfort and safety during play and increased physical activity, which are indispensable elements in the behavior of children. Another issue that should be considered when choosing glasses for this age group is the color and attractiveness of the eyeglass frames themselves. It is known that children will be more likely to wear glasses if they and their peers like them, says Dr. Biol. Robert Grabowski, medical director of Vision Express.
Plastic, not metal, frames work well for the youngest. They are lighter, more durable, colorful and flexible, so they do not interfere with play or physical activity. Well-chosen glasses must fit perfectly in size, so they do not slip off the nose, do not press the skin and keep the shield close to the eyes so that the child does not peek over the frames – this may worsen the effects of correction and cause discomfort to the toddler. It is also worth remembering that children, just like adults, should wear sunglasses, especially in summer.
– Choosing the right sunglasses is very important. Remember to provide lenses that have appropriate and effective filters that reduce the impact of harmful UVA and UVB radiation. We should also remember about the possibility of using lenses with a polarizing filter, which will certainly improve the contrast, sharpness and quality of vision in the youngest patients – says Dr. Robert Grabowski.
These types of glasses, as well as prescription glasses, should be purchased only in specialized institutions. Models available in drugstores or bazaars do not provide adequate protection against solar radiation. However, research shows that only 20 percent. of customers buy their sunglasses in the appropriate stores.