Nov 16 2009
Eyeglasses for Infants and Children
If you have school-age children, you know that there is more to education than simply ensuring your child’s safe arrival at school each day. He needs books and supplies, as well as physical check-ups and inoculations to prevent health problems that could impede learning. As important as these steps are, it is equally critical to ensure the health of your child’s eyes by taking him or her to an eye care professional for regular comprehensive examinations.
Almost 80% of what a child learns in school comes to him visually. Impaired vision can affect a child’s development by limiting both the information he is exposed to and his range of experiences. Buying all the right school books and supplies is useless without the most important learning tool of all: healthy eyesight.
Your child may have already told you that he’s having trouble seeing, or will exhibit such symptoms as squinting, holding a book very close to read, complaining of headaches, rubbing his eyes or using a finger to follow along while he’s reading.
But do not wait for him to display symptoms of poor vision or to tell you about the problem before taking him to an eye doctor. There may be no symptoms, and your child may not even be aware that he has a problem because he might not know what he’s supposed to be seeing.
Also, do not be tempted by your busy schedule to leave your child’s eye examination solely to the school nurse. In-school screenings are brief tests used to identify potential vision problems; they are no substitute for comprehensive eye examinations performed by an eye doctor. According to the National Institutes of Health, vision screenings miss as many as 60% of eye problems.
Prescriptions for kids glasses with plastic frames can be measured in even the youngest and most uncooperative children by using a special instrument called a retinoscope to analyze light reflected through the pupil from the back of the eye.
Most lenses today, especially for children, are made of plastic, which is stronger and lighter than glass. It is a good idea to get kids glasses with resin and PC lenses. Children can be rough with glasses and plastic lenses scratch easily.
Color tints or tints that respond to changes in light can be incorporated into lenses. For children, the tint should not be so dark that the child has trouble seeing indoors.
Frames come in all shapes and sizes. Choose one that fits comfortably but securely. There are devices available to keep glasses in place, a good idea for active children and young children with flat nasal bridges. Cable temples, which wrap around the back of the ears, are good for toddlers.
Why is frames style important for kids? Because when a youngster likes his eyeglasses, he will want to wear them. Today’s impact-resistant children glasses manufacturers are designing frames specifically for children. You will see a wide variety of colors, shapes and styles. Some are scaled-down copies of adult styles, which many children like because they look more grown-up. Others incorporate the latest pop-culture icons.
