Q: I have a five-year-old son in kindergarten. Does he need to have an eye examination? He does not complain of blurred vision or headaches, but my optometrist suggested that I bring him in for a routine checkup. How can they do this when he does not know his ABCs yet? Is this covered by provincial health insurance?
A: About one in four children start Grade 1 with previously undetected visual problems.
Children with near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism do not complain of blurring of vision, as they have nothing to compare to. They assume it is normal. Also, it is rare for young children to complain of headaches, unless perhaps they have a high fever.
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It is important to get your child’s eyes tested as early as possible, as undetected problems can lead to learning difficulties. Even babies under a year old can be given tiny glasses to wear, although it is normal for young babies, less than a few weeks of age, to be near-sighted. This is a developmental situation and the child matures out of it in most cases.
Other eye conditions that require early attention are lazy eyes or cross eyes. Treatment of these problems is more difficult in children over the age of 10.
Hampers learning
There is a definite connection between learning difficulties in a child and undetected visual problems. They may be mistakenly diagnosed as suffering from behaviourial disorders or classified as learning disabled. It is estimated that as many as 60 percent of children labelled this way may have had eye conditions that have gone undetected.
Routine eye tests that are often performed in schools may show that your child has 20-20 vision, but that does not necessarily equate to good eye health.
I believe all the western provinces offer children free eye examinations by a qualified optometrist.
In Saskatchewan, they are free of charge up to the age of 17, and in Alberta to19. Your child does not have to be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, because optometrists use shapes and pictures with young children.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
