Pediatrics
(Children's Eye
Care)
"80%
of all learning during a child's first 12 years is obtained through
vision."
--American Optometric Association
News, October 2000
DID YOU KNOW?
"Vision disorders are the fourth most
common disability in the United States?"
"Vision disorders are the most prevalent handicapping condition in
childhood?"
"That at least 1 out of 10 children are at risk from undetected vision
problems?"
"That amblyopia (lazy eye), a leading cause of loss of vision in people
younger than 45, could possibly be eliminated if all children received routine
eye and vision exams?"
-- Review of Optometry, November 15, 2000
The American Optometric Association (AOA), and we at SVC,
strongly encourage you to have your children
examined by an Eye Care Professional by the age of 3 years old.
As well, the American Public Health Association enacted a policy resolution
calling for all children to have a comprehensive exam before entering
school. This policy is also endorsed by Prevent Blindness America (PBA).
In too many cases, we see children for their first exam at 10 years of age or older, who have eye problems (such as a "lazy eye") that could have
been treated, and possibly corrected, if they would have been examined at a
younger age. Generally, after the age of 7-10 years, children's eyes have
developed and matured to the point where treating and correcting problems
becomes very difficult.
The condition where vision does not develop properly in one or both eyes due to
an eye turn or a high prescription, is called Amblyopia. As
mentioned above, this condition is correctible in many cases, but it needs to be
detected and treated as early as possible.
Have your child examined again at age 5 (before they start school), and then on a yearly basis throughout their school years. As children age and mature, they become more aware of their vision, so their visual demands change. Vision becomes a more integral part of their lives - in schooling, sports, and daily life. What you, as a parent, hope to do, is provide your children with the opportunity to study, learn, and compete at the same level as everyone else. By making sure that your children have perfectly corrected and comfortable vision, you accomplish this for you and your child.
At SVC, we will perform a comprehensive exam on your child and determine if any corrective lenses are required, if any visual training is necessary, or if a referral to a specialist is necessary.
Why take chances with your child's vision?
Quotes from Pediatric Ophthalmologists (Children's
Eye Specialists)
" The best time for a complete
eye exam for a child with both eyes lined up, who appears to see normally and
has no family history of early eye problems, is between three and four years of
age."
Gerhard Cibis, M.D.
Ophthalmology Chief, Children's Mercy Hospital (KC, MO)
"An eye exam for children with
no vision problems may seem like an unnecessary expense, but once vision is lost
to amblyopia, sight can, in most cases, only be restored during a critical
period in early childhood - usually birth to about age four."
Alan B. Richards, M.D.
Pediatric Ophthalmologist
"All children should have a
first eye exam by age 3 or 4 to screen for amblyopia. Parents may be
unaware of the development of this condition because the eyes may appear to have
straight alignment."
Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology
"A complete eye exam (including
refraction with dilation of pupils) is a good idea before going to school.
Early detection can lead to better performance in school, and avoid many other
problems, both scholastic and social, later on."
Robert Abel, Jr., M.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology, Thomas Jefferson Univ.
"Prevention really is the best
treatment for protecting our eyesight throughout our lives. It's
recommended that children receive their first complete eye exam... before they
enter kindergarten."
Sue F. Kao, M.D.
Ophthalmologist, Milwaukee Medical Clinic
Call to make an appointment today (714-979-2021).
