I See You! The Importance of Your Child’s Eyes

When I say AUGUST many parents immediately think of Back-To-School or the end of summer heat. But something else that they should also be thinking is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Depending on the state or country that you live, a comprehensive eye exam may be required before a child can enter elementary or primary school. But I am here to tell you that your child(ren)’s eyesight should be a priority long before they are about to start school. 

Our Personal Journey

For most people, the eye exam will be a “one and done” ordeal. While others will be faced with the reality that their child needs assistance to see as well as their peers. This is the truth that our family was faced with when our youngest member was only 20 months old. A year-and-a-half is still very young for an eye exam, as your child typically does not know to tell you everything is blurry. What brought our son’s vision into question was his constant eye-crossing when he tried to focus on an object that was far away from him. At first, we believed that he potentially had a lazy eye since there was a family history. Nothing could have prepared me for the fateful day in November of 2015 when we were told that he was extremely farsighted. Due to his age, he was referred to a specialist at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute Tennessee Lions Pediatric Eye Center. 

Days after his second birthday it was confirmed that his vision was as bad as the original ophthalmologist had feared. He would need glasses, but thankfully not need surgery like we were originally afraid of when our journey first began. This is the part of the story where his autism plays a huge role. Although he had not been diagnosed at this point, there were already some red flags that had been raised by ourselves and the pediatrician. And something that many ASD parents will tell you is that their child does not like things on their face or head. This lead to a year and a half struggle to wear his glasses on an everyday basis. But I am glad to say that, just shy of his third birthday, a switch got flipped with our little man. He started wearing his glasses daily from sun up to sundown. 

Since his initial visit to Vanderbilt, we continue to go for visits at least twice a year. And although I have had the better part of four years to get used to his vision issues, nothing hits harder than when you find out that your child’s vision is still getting worse. His prescription has now gotten high enough that some glasses stores can’t help him. Thankfully we have found an amazing office in our area that can help him. They cut all their lenses in house and the entire staff is top-notch in my book, which puts a sense of calm on this mother’s heart like no other. 

So why am I sharing all of this? To prepare other parents for the road they might very well have to walk down as well. 

Symptoms 

Obviously, if your child is constantly walking into objects or misjudging depth, you may begin to question their vision. Here are a few other symptoms that you can watch for that can also be found on EyeLux Optometry.

• Squinting
• Constant Headaches
• Complaints of eye discomfort
• Crossing of the eyes

What to Expect

Another big issue with eye exams is that parents, as well as children, have no idea what to expect. Depending on your child’s age, the exam may be very different from other children. If you want to check out a break down of exams based on age, I suggest checking out Healthy Essentials by Johnson & Johnson. Infants eyes are usually checked at well-child visits for major issues such as Glaucoma and Cataracts, among other things. During the toddler years, eyes will continue to be checked at well-child visits for the aforementioned issues, but they may also be asked to read an eye chart with pictures on it versus the one with letters that most adults think of. If the pediatrician notices a cause for concern, they will then refer to an Ophthalmologist. This step is where the real preparation needs to take place. 

When you walk into your first visit with your child’s ophthalmologist you can expect a few things. 

• Your child’s eyes will, most likely, be dilated at this appointment. 
• Unless your child is extremely verbal and cooperative, expect that you are going to have to hold your child while the doctor examines his/her eyes.
• You will more than likely have an answer to your child’s vision woes at the end of the visit. 
• If you are like most parents, you will feel both a sense of relief and a feeling of defeat at the end of the visit. Both feelings are completely natural. 

So there you have it in a nutshell. While there may be tips and tricks, links to “your child’s eye care” sites, or the belief that Ignorance is Bliss nothing will 100% prepare you for that first exam or potentially receiving the news that your child needs glasses. Does that mean you shouldn’t go? Just like their basic health and well-being of their teeth, your child’s vision is something that should be treasured and taken care of. So if there is nothing else that I can encourage you to do this month, I ask you this:

If you haven’t already, please schedule your child for an eye exam.