Recognizing Childhood Vision Problems

A child’s sense of sight is an important part of their learning and development. Being able to see helps them absorb their world. And of course, healthy vision helps children read, write, and interact with people or objects around them.

However, between 5 to 10% of children in New Zealand have a vision problem. If not caught early on and left untreated, vision problems have long-term effects on a child’s learning and development.

It is important therefore that your regular visit to the doctor should never be without an eye exam for children to check your child’s vision. This is especially if there your family has a history of vision problems. 

How does a child’s vision develop from infancy to the early years?

In early infancy, babies can clearly see things that are 10 inches away from their faces. Anything beyond that range is usually blurred or fuzzy. But when they’re three months old, their range of sight and vision improves, which allows them to see clearer than 10 inches.

Throughout child development, your child’s abilities expand to include depth perception, eye-body, eye-hand coordination, and judging distances. That’s why it’s important that at the early years of development, children undergo regular eye exams to catch any vision problems since these problems can occur between one to four years of age.

What is an eye exam for children?

Eye exams for children ensure the eye health of children, as well as spot any vision problems they may have. You can have your child’s eyes examined even when they are newborns. Eye exams can be routinely done at six months of age, and every year thereafter. Aside from your child’s pediatrician, your family physician, ophthalmologist, or a trained and licensed health care provider may conduct eye exams.
 
The exams may consist of vision screenings, visual acuity tests, and eye alignment. A vision screening checks the overall health of your child’s eyes, while a visual acuity test determines how clear or sharp things appear to a child. Eye alignment checks how well the eyes work together to give your child a clear vision.
 
If it is determined that your child has a vision problem, you may be referred to an ophthalmologist or an optometrist for your next steps.

What are the signs and symptoms of vision problems in children to look out for?

If you notice your child experiencing or doing any of the following, it may be a sign that they have a vision problem.
 

• Squinting or blinking their eyes more than the usual
• Sitting very close to the television
• Holding reading materials very close to their face
• Eye rubbing happens frequently
• Getting eye strain-related headaches
• Tilting their head and favoring one side
• Covering one of their eyes to see clearly

 
Other noticeable signs include constant redness in their eyes and bulging or drooping eyes. If you also notice that your child’s eyes do not seem to work well together, this may indicate a problem. Rapid movements of eyes going from side to side or up and down also need to be checked out. Additional things to notice are cloudy eye centers, constantly watery eyes, and crusty eye drainage. 

What are common vision problems for children?

The following are the most common vision problems experienced by children: 

Strabismus

A crossed or wandering eye affects 3% to 5% of children. This vision problem manifests itself when one eye drifts or appears crossed with the other eye. It can develop during infancy or may appear in the early years of a child. A crossed or wandering eye is more a brain wiring problem that incidentally affects the eye.

This vision problem may be constantly noticeable in a child or may come and go. However, it is important that babies or children with strabismus receive treatment from an ophthalmologist or an orthoptist for the condition at the earliest possible time upon detection as this condition cannot be outgrown. Treatment may include any of the following: wearing of glasses, patching, exercises, and/or even surgery.

Amblyopia 

Amblyopia is a condition where one eye becomes lazy because of the following: strabismus, uneven focusing, a droopy eyelid, or the presence of a cataract. A child with uneven focus, meaning one eye is farsighted compared to the other eye, is harder to detect. Around 2% to 3% of children may have uneven focus and may not know about it.

And if left undetected and treated, both strabismus and amblyopia may lead to the development of a dominant eye – the eye that sees or focuses better – in a child. The images seen by the dominant eye will send stronger signals to the brain, effectively ignoring the images from the other eye. This leads to nerve atrophy in the weaker eye which may lead to vision loss that will become permanent by 10 years of age.  

Amblyopia may be treated with the use of eye patches or glasses. Treatment at an early age may help improve the vision of children with amblyopia.

Myopia

More commonly referred to as nearsightedness, myopia is a condition where objects appear visually clear when they are near but appear blurry when they are seen from a distance. Aside from blurry vision, myopia may also cause headaches from the strain in your child’s eyes as they focus on distant images. Your child may also be prone to squinting, excessive blinking, or reading and watching television up close to get clearer words or pictures. 

Chalazion

Chalazion is a condition wherein there is a blockage in the glands of the eyelid, causing it to swell. It is sometimes accompanied by a redness of the eyelid or even a yellow ooze. It can sometimes grow large enough to cover the center of your child’s eye, obstructing your child’s vision. Chalazia can develop in either of your child’s eyes more than once.

Book an eye exam for children to catch childhood vision problems early.

 
Childhood vision problems can be addressed early on with routine eye exams. If you notice that your child has any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, it would be good to ask your pediatrician or family doctor for a referral. You can also search online for “eye exam for kids near me” or “eye exam nz”.

Of course, if you are looking for the best optometrist in North Shore, Auckland, you don’t have to look further than us at NVISION Eyecare. We offer general and specialty eye care services to adults and children alike using state-of-the-art technology such as Plusotpix, an autorefractor especially designed for young children. Our rates are also very competitive. Google “eye exam cost NZ” and compare it to ours - you’ll see what we mean!

Also, our head, Ryan Mahmoud, is a top-notch optometrist in NZ. He has worked with various experienced optometrists in Auckland prior to establishing NVISION Eyecare in 2018, where he is able to focus on his interest in treating childhood vision problems. His years of experience have made him arguably the best optometrist in Albany.


Book a schedule with NVISION Eyecare and let us help you take care of your child’s eye health and wellbeing. We look forward to seeing you step through our doors.