The health tip every new parent should know
Posted 09-15-2015 at 09:09 AM by DavidRaonic
New parents get a lot of advice and tips on how to care for their little ones, but a reminder to get your baby's eyes checked isn't always one of them.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, all children should have their first comprehensive eye exam when they are between six and 12 months old. “Early identification of vision problems can be crucial,” says Richard Kort, a doctor of optometry. “Issues such as lazy eye or strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes, can be detected (and corrected) as early as 6 months of age.
During the infant eye exam, a doctor of optometry will look for excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism; eye movement ability; and eye health problems. Most of these issues are treatable, but if your child has a vision problem that goes undetected, it could affect them in many areas of their life. With 80 per cent of a child's learning based on vision, healthy eyes are a critical part of proper learning and development.
According to Dr. Kort, many children will accept their vision as normal because they don't know any differently, leading parents to believe that nothing is wrong. “Research tells us that 61 per cent of parents mistakenly believe they would know if their child was having difficulty with their eyesight. But, in reality, it's difficult to know without a comprehensive eye exam.”
Because children's eyes continue to develop and change as they grow, it's important to have their eyes examined every step of the way. A complete optometric eye exam at six months, before starting kindergarten, and annually throughout the school years is recommended to ensure optimal eye health and development.
Check with your local doctor of optometry to determine if your child's eye care is covered in your province. In most provinces, eye exams are covered for children up to 18 or 19 years of age.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, all children should have their first comprehensive eye exam when they are between six and 12 months old. “Early identification of vision problems can be crucial,” says Richard Kort, a doctor of optometry. “Issues such as lazy eye or strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes, can be detected (and corrected) as early as 6 months of age.
During the infant eye exam, a doctor of optometry will look for excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism; eye movement ability; and eye health problems. Most of these issues are treatable, but if your child has a vision problem that goes undetected, it could affect them in many areas of their life. With 80 per cent of a child's learning based on vision, healthy eyes are a critical part of proper learning and development.
According to Dr. Kort, many children will accept their vision as normal because they don't know any differently, leading parents to believe that nothing is wrong. “Research tells us that 61 per cent of parents mistakenly believe they would know if their child was having difficulty with their eyesight. But, in reality, it's difficult to know without a comprehensive eye exam.”
Because children's eyes continue to develop and change as they grow, it's important to have their eyes examined every step of the way. A complete optometric eye exam at six months, before starting kindergarten, and annually throughout the school years is recommended to ensure optimal eye health and development.
Check with your local doctor of optometry to determine if your child's eye care is covered in your province. In most provinces, eye exams are covered for children up to 18 or 19 years of age.
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