Children's Eye Health and Safety Month

Eye M.D.s say good eye health begins early in life. Infants should be screened for common eye problems during their regular pediatric appointments. Vision testing should be conducted for all children by 3 years of age. An UI Health Care Ophthalmologist said, "You just can't look at the child and tell that there's a problem going on. Once you detect that problem, it's much easier to treat and correct the problem when you catch it earlier than when you see them at a later age and they tell you they have a problem."

If there is a family history of eye problems or if a problem is apparent, an Eye M.D. should be contacted promptly about when and how often the child’s eyes should be examined. Among the conditions an eye care professional will look for are amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid) and refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism).

Regular screenings can also determine if children need glasses or contacts to see better. Eye screenings for children are important because vision changes can occur without anyone, including the child, noticing them. If a child is having trouble seeing the blackboard or trouble seeing pictures or the words in a book, learning, as well as participating in recreational activities will suffer. While vision problems can interfere with school performance, it's important to distinguish them from learning disorders.

Eye safety is also important. Parents and/or caregivers can protect a child’s eyes from the danger of eye injuries. Toys a child plays with should be appropriate for his or her age and maturity level and toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts should be avoided. Sports-related eye injuries affect thousands of children every year. Sports related eye injuries can be prevented. The best defense against eye injury is for children to wear protective eyewear when participating in athletics.

If your child is blind or severely visually impaired, it is important to get services as early as possible. The effect of blindness on an infant, toddler, or preschooler's learning is profound. Children with impaired vision lack one of the major sources of sensory information to learn about their surroundings. Lack of vision interferes with all other normal developmental processes. Language, motor, interpersonal skills, abstract thinking, and self-care abilities can be delayed. For a child with additional disabilities, the delays can be even worse.

All states have early intervention programs (0-3) and special services for children with disabilities for preschoolers (3-5).  In Florida, the Division of Blind Services can assist parents and/or caregivers who have a child who is blind or severely visually impaired.   Use the contact us link in the left hand menu or on the bottom of this page to find the Division of Blind Services Office closes to you.  Use the The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) web site to find a program outside Florida.