Eye on learning
Also see "Tips help keep young eyes healthy" below
Focusing on your child’s vision
By Linda Ann Chomin
Staff Writer
lchomin@oe.homecomm.net
Taking your child for an eye exam is a good way to begin not only the school year, but life. Vision problems can hinder a child academically.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends screening by a trained ophthalmologist or pediatrician at birth to three months, six months to one year, three years, five years, and every year or two after to detect conditions which can slow the learning process if left untreated.
Dr. Kevin Trapp isn’t taking any chances with his 9-month-old daughter who has already had her first eye exam. According to the American Optometric Association, she’s an exception. Of the 26 percent of population under 18 in the 2000 U.S. Census, only about 31 percent of those have had a comprehensive eye exam in the last year.
“I think it is important,” said Trapp, an optometrist with Michigan Eyecare Institute in Southfield, Livonia and Dearborn. “Screening doesn’t catch everything every time. They need to check the health of the eyes anytime the parent feels there’s a problem even if they’re not sure. Some kids might have a strong need for glasses. Often times they have headaches or avoid doing close work or reading. They’re not performing as they should, lagging in reading and writing.”
Children with risks factors such as premature birth, developmental delays, crossed or turned eyes, family history of eye disease or injury need to be examined more frequently.
“One of the things you’re trying to prevent is amblyopia or lazy eye,” said Trapp, of Livonia. “For someone who can’t see well out of one eye and won’t be able to even with the proper glasses, it’s a process to learn how to see. By age 9 or 10 you can’t do much with the amblyopia. Basically the brain has to learn to see with the eye. Strabismus is when one eye is turned out or in. They tend not to use that eye.”
If a child’s eyes cross or turn in or out, parents should see their pediatrician or family practice physician who more than likely will refer them to an ophthalmologist like Dr. Stephen Kaufman. Parents should always be alert to any problems a child is having with their eyes.
Kaufman took his youngest to a pediatric ophthalmologist when he became suspicious of a photograph. The Bloomfield Village M.D. tells parents to look out for red eyes or tearing as they can be symptomatic of an eye problem.
“He had a white reflection in a photo which can be a sign of tumor in back of an eye, or they can have one red and one white eye. It’s very rare but it should be checked,” said Kaufman, an ophthalmologist at Henry Ford Health System in Troy.
“When parents interact with kids they should look to see if eyes don’t look clear. Ask your physician about any concerns. A child may not be reaching for objects the way kids would or interacting with his or her environment visually, not reaching for a toy held in front.
“One of the most common problem I see is when kids use a computer for a long time or reading, it can cause dryness.”
Both of Dr. Martin Levin’s children were myopic (nearsighted), a fact he learned after a comprehensive eye exam. Experts disagree on whether a screening is sufficient to detect visual problems that could have serious consequences.
“The common notion is that if a child can see that everything is OK with their vision,” said Levin, an optometrist from West Bloomfield with an office in Northville.
“Screening will only pick up myopia (nearsightedness). It doesn’t pick up strabismus and lazy eye. Lazy eye can cause reading problems. You need to work harder so you’re reading much slower. Pediatricians generally only focus on one eye, cover one eye and then the other. If vision was all just seeing it would be easy to pick up but there are so many factors that go into it. Many times when children have problems in school people don’t realize it’s related to vision, not a learning disability. One of the hardest things a parent has to do is rule out factors for a learning disability.”
Tips help keep young eyes healthy
By Linda Ann Chomin
Staff Writer
lchomin@oe.homecomm.net
Dr. Kevin Trapp has a few pet peeves about parents who fail to take care of their children’s eyes. All too frequently he sees children who’ve broken or lost glasses but haven’t received replacements.
“If a child has been prescribed glasses, they were prescribed them for a reason,” said Trapp, an optometrist with Michigan Eyecare Institute in Southfield, Livonia and Dearborn.
“Whether they’ve broken or lost them, or they grow out of them, they’re not replaced in a timely fashion. For those who do have glasses they need a frame that fits your face and your head is growing, not to mention the prescription changing.”
There are several steps parents can take to keep their child’s eyes healthy whether they’re involved with academics or athletics. Encourage your child to wear protective eyewear when playing sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer and hockey.
If your child wears prescription glasses, ophthalmologists and optometrists recommend shatter-resistant lenses. Trapp is a proponent of polycarbonate lens for all kids under age 18.
“This is the time when sports kick off,” said Trapp. “Basketball and other sports cause a huge number of injuries.”
Dr. Stephen Kaufman especially worries about his 7- and 10-year-old sons sustaining eye injuries. As an ophthalmologist with Henry Ford Health System in Troy, he sees children with severe trauma after injury and those who have gotten metal or other objects in their eyes.
“If kids are active in sports go to a glasses shop to keep kids from getting poked in the eye or hit with a ball,” said Kaufman. “They need shatter-resistant lenses so it doesn’t fracture and enter the eye.”
For kids who spend long hours in front of a computer eye experts suggest taking breaks to avoid redness or dryness of the eyes.
“Most of it is a strain issue,” said Dr. Martin Levin, an optometrist from West Bloomfield with an office in Northville. “My biggest pet peeve is spending too much time on the computer. Parents come to me wanting glasses so kids can sit at the computer longer.
“We’ve just released a DVD that’s not as concerned with their eyes but their bodies. Obesity is becoming an epidemic. My Kids First Coach is meant to prevent obesity. I run, work out, play hockey and ski, and started my kids at young ages, skiing and skating at age 3. It’s a directed program to give them a huge head start.”
For more information about My Kids First Coach, visit the Web site at www.mykidsfirstcoach.com.
back to top
|
