Keeping an Eye on Your Child’s Vision Health

With kids preparing to head back to school, there is no better time than the month of August to observe Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.

The annual observance aims to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of children’s eyes and how critical it is to their ability to learn, grow, and thrive. Unfortunately, some parents and caregivers may not consider scheduling an eye screening as part of their child’s routine physical, and that can lead to vision problems down both the short and long roads.

As children grow their vision acuity can change rapidly, so it’s vital to pay careful attention to eye health to ensure issues can be detected early while their eyes are still developing. A major sign that school age children may have a vision problem can be trouble recognizing letters and written words, but what about pre-K and younger kids who can’t yet read?  Telltale signs that your child has eye health issues include squinting, rubbing eyes, difficulty concentrating, and frequent headaches.

Common vision problems in children are many, including nearsightedness, amblyopia (commonly referred to as lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and blurry or double vision due to convergence insufficiency.

The best way to make sure that your child’s eye health is in order is to arrange a routine eye screening with an ophthalmologist.

Yes, it’s a new school year – time to schedule your young ones for a vision screening.

At the Whittier Street Health Center Eye Care Department, we provide routine eye exams, ophthalmology services, and treatment for a wide range of visual problems and eye disease. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 617-989-3058.