Before you panic over your child’s impending blindness, or some frightening eye disease that will take over her life, it could very well be a simple problem that only an ophthalmologist, not an optician, can remedy.
According to paediatric ophthalmologist, Dr Vijaya Mohan of the Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital (THONEH) in Petaling Jaya, prescription glasses may not always be the immediate solution. She said some initial problems associated with vision impairment in children can be reversed, but if left unchecked by an ophthalmologist, could however become needlessly permanent.
In an interview with FMT, Dr Vijaya said that one out of every 40 kids experienced amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye”, characterised when one eye, sometimes both, suffered from blurred vision not in accordance to the child’s age.
“Amblyopia or ‘lazy eye’ occurs when vision is blurred in one or both eyes as a result of the eyes’ abnormal development in the child’s eye. Loss of clear vision occurs when nerve passages between the brain and eyes are not correctly stimulated thus resulting in the brain receiving blurred images from amblyopic eyes. But not to worry as this problem can be easily treated with early detection,” said Dr Vijaya.
She explained that this condition was the result of refractive error, squinting or the presence of cataracts.
“Treatment should be provided when the child is between the ages of three to eight. Any later and the condition will become permanent,” she warned, adding that among the common treatments was prescription glasses.
Another method known as ‘patching’ was also popular and worked by encouraging the child to make use of their lazy eye. This was done by patching the good eye for several hours a day so the lazy eye was forced to work.
“There is also a range of medication that can be prescribed to stimulate the eye. Again, this must be done before the child turns eight years old,” Dr Vijaya stressed.
Considering the age factor, Dr Vijaya recommended that every child go for eye check-ups, once at the age of four, and again at six years old.
Another more common form of vision impairment was myopia, or in laymen terms, blurred vision.
“Myopia is more widely reported today than it has ever been in the past. There are several causes for this. One of course is genetics. If the parents use glasses, then it is more likely their children will require glasses in the future as well.
“The second factor is being under 1.5kg in weight at the time of birth. These babies are prone to vision impairment. Test-tube babies, even twins, also face the risk of experiencing blurred vision and should be brought in for a check-up,” Dr Vijaya said.
“These are factors that cannot be avoided. However the common factor cropping up today among two-year-olds, is the use of iPads and smartphones over such long periods of time that their eyesight gets affected.
“When kids stare at the screen (of an electronic gadget) for too long, and at such a close distance, their eyeballs expand and this then affects their vision for distance.”
Dr Vijaya said she regretted the tendency some parents and guardians had of making iPads and smartphones their children’s “companions”, describing it as reckless behaviour on their part.
“These children will be forced to wear glasses at such a young age. And it’s likely their blurred vision will affect them psychologically.
When asked whether wearing glasses for longer periods as opposed to shorter periods was better for a child, Dr Vijaya said did not affect a child’s vision one way or another.
“If they want to see clearly, give them glasses. How long they use the glasses for does not affect their power. As parents we must understand the importance of clear vision, instead of controlling how long our children wear their glasses, especially when they are desperate (for better vision).”
Dr Vijaya also brought up the issue of allergies, a common occurrence with children living in urban areas.
“Many children are taken to the clinic when their eyes are red from frequent rubbing. This is not a serious problem, but it is prevalent among urban children. It could be due to food allergies, dust, dust mites, asthma and sinusitis. Generally it is treated with medication and eyedrops. Food allergies on the other hand require parents to monitor their child and ensure that certain food is withdrawn from the child’s diet.”
Dr Vijaya also said she could not stress enough the importance of regular eye checks, apart from consuming a healthy diet consisting of fruits as well as lots of green and yellow vegetables that are important for healthy eyes.
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