Every 6 months my kids go to the dentist. Every year they get a physical. But did you know that there is one extremely important check-up that many parents miss? October is Eye Health month and the message is clear, your children need regular eye examinations just like they need a medical and dental check-up.
It is amazing that we take better care of our children’s teeth than we do their eyes! New research by the Canadian Association of Optometrists found:
- 60% of Canadian optometrists detect serious eye and vision issues in their patients 12 years of age and younger.
- Only 4% of parents surveyed would immediately think that difficulties in school could be linked to poor eye sight.
- 98% of optometrists have detected vision problems in children despite parents’ claims of 20/20 vision.
Learning is EIGHTY percent visual and undiagnosed vision problems can lead to misdiagnoses of learning and reading disabilities. In other words, a regular eye exam is critical to a child’s success at school.
It is critical to get your children in to see an optometrist as early as 6 months. Many serious eye issues can be detected and treated much more effectively if detected then. It is important to understand that a school vision test or an exam as part of a physical does not replace a visit to the optometrist.
I am so glad we visited the optometrist early and my daughter’s issues were identified and treated before it began to affect her learning. Eye Health should be part of your family’s overall health regimen.
Thanks to the Canadian Association of Optometrists Eye Health Month for providing the data and sponsoring this important blog series.