School bells will soon be ringing and that’s why August has been named National Children’s Vision and Learning Month. Ophthalmologists want parents to consider the health of their children’s eyes as kids get ready to return to class.
“Our kids are going back to school and good vision is so key with how you interact with others socially, how we play and definitely how young people and how all of us learn,” said Leslie Jones, chair of the Ophthalmology Department at the Howard University College of Medicine in D.C.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that some 6.8% of children under 18 have a diagnosed eye and vision condition.
Infants get their first eye exam from their pediatrician, and preschoolers between ages 3 and 4 should have their vision checked, according to Jones.
“It’s important to have the eyes and vision screened because a child at that age is not going to really communicate that they’re having visual problems,” Jones said.
Jones also pointed to warning signs that should prompt parents to seek an eye exam for their child.
“Say you notice your child has to turn their head to the side to see something straight ahead; if you notice any abnormal eye movements or that an eye turns out or in, these speak to some problems that if corrected, your child may develop healthy vision. But if they’re left undetected and uncorrected, it may affect the child’s ability to develop good vision and affect them throughout their life,” Jones said.
