Children’s eyes are much more susceptible to UV and HEV radiation than an adult’s eyes, simply because the lenses inside young eyes are less capable of filtering high-energy rays
eye health
> early problems, mainly because the eyes finish developing late in pregnancy. All such babies are tested for a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, which occurs when the blood vessels that supply the eyes with oxygen and nutrients haven’t yet fully formed. Many eye conditions detected at birth
get better without treatment as a baby gets older. Tose which are more serious are quite rare, but it’s vital that they’re detected at this stage and treated early to minimise their impact on a child’s vision development. At birth, your baby only sees in black,
white and shades of grey. At this stage he also doesn’t have the ability to focus on near objects, so don’t be concerned if he doesn’t seem to be focusing on your face. It just takes time.
Tree years of age
It’s a good idea to have your child’s eyesight checked again round three years of age and prior to going to school. Tese tests can check for visible defects and deformities in the eyes, such as cataracts, a lazy eye (amblyopia) or a squint. Te optician will also check to see that your child can follow movement in the normal field of vision, ie, looking up and down and side to side. Tests will also be carried out to check that your
child is not long or short sighted and that he is not colour blind. Very oſten, it’s parents themselves who
will notice eye problems in their child before tests are carried out by an optician. A child with vision problems may, for example, have erratic eye movements, or may not be able to make eye contact properly. Other signs that your child may have a
problem with his vision include: • Complaining of not being able to see the TV properly
• Frequent headaches • Eye rubbing and blinking • Te eye turning in or out • Covering one eye or tilting the head
At school
Once your child starts school, he may have their eye sight tested again. It can also be a good idea for your child to visit an optician at this time, since vision screening in schools may not pick up on long sightedness, astigmatism or muscle imbalances, all of which can have significant implications for your child’s educational development. If your child does have a problem with his
vision - or his eyes in general - the key to preventing long-term vision problems is early detection. Correcting a child’s vision problem before the age of seven can significantly reduce the risk of him having a vision problem for life. It’s particularly
important to have your child’s eye health regularly monitored if there is a history of eyesight problems in your family, or if your child is having problems in school. If your child needs to wear glasses,
always encourage him and be positive about it, as a negative reaction may result in your child not wearing their glasses, which could impact negatively on his visual health for life.
Sunglasses
Many experts actually believe that our eyes get 80 per cent of their total lifetime exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet (UV) rays by the age of 18, so it goes without saying that you need to protect your child’s eyes from the sun from a very early age. Lifetime exposure to UV rays has been linked to the development of cataracts and other eye problems. In addition, researchers are now suggesting that long-term exposure to high- energy visible (HEV) rays, also referred to as ‘blue light’, may also cause eye damage. Children’s eyes are much more
susceptible to UV and HEV radiation than an adult’s eyes, simply because the lenses inside young eyes are less capable of filtering high-energy rays. Tis is particularly true for young children, so get your child wearing protective sunglasses every time they play outdoors. „
Summer 2016 MODERNMUM 49
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