Is It Worth It To Get Small Kids' Eyes Tested?

12/03/2009

I was just steering Punk out of his classroom after school the other day when his teacher called out to me with that there's-something-you-ought-to-know-about-your-kid-and-if-you-don't-do-something-about-it-you're-a-bad-parent voice.

"Ms. LAW?"

"Yes?" I prepare to hear that he's been wandering the classroom again during circle time, that his pants keep falling down, or that he didn't eat his lunch.

Instead she says, "Have you had his eyesight checked? We think he's looking funny at the TV screen."

What the??

 
Punk is only four years old. Isn't this way too young for a kid to have vision problems? I mean, I thought I was way too young when my eyesight started going at age 23.

 
I found out, after I couldn't read a giant road sign, that I was myopic, or nearsighted—meaning that I can easily see objects up close, but they're blurred when farther away.

I blamed it all on a Kafkaesque job I had writing 200-word summaries of scientific journal articles on a glaring computer screen. To meet quota, I had to write at least 10 before lunch and another 10 before quitting time. It was right out of Joe Versus the Volcano, when he's toiling away in a concrete room lit only by a single, naked bulb.

But, really, my sight decline likely had nothing to do with my job. Nearsightedness is hereditary and usually manifests during or after adolescence, when the eye is fully formed. So early 20s is right in the ballpark.

Which is part of the reason I was so surprised when Punk's teacher alerted me to a possible vision problem.

Who knows. My husband's myopia set in when he was 13, and that's fairly standard. So I suppose it's possible for it to show up before the age of five.

 
Another possibility is that Punk is far-sighted, or hypermetropic, which we usually associate with getting older—you know, bifocals and reading glasses. And yes, farsightedness does usually affect older people, as their eyes lose their ability to focus.

But farsightedness can also show up in young kids, in which case it's usually present from birth. That said, most kids outgrow it.

Yet another possibility is that Punk has astigmatism, in which the cornea—or the lens—of the eye is curved irregularly, interfering with focus. Though sometimes caused by eye injury, astigmatism is usually congenital, so it's quite possible Punk has this.

Also, both his father and I have it, upping the odds that he does too.

But really, if he had a bad case of any of these things, wouldn't he be bumping into walls and tripping down stairs? He does fall quite a bit but I think that's just because, like a puppy, his feet and head are out of whack with the rest of him.

 
If you sit him down with a book, he seems to follow along with the words and pictures just fine.

So, I'm wondering if it's worth getting his eyes tested. We've gone ahead and made the appointment, but does it make sense to put him through all that?

 
Anyone have any kid and eyesight problem experiences to share?

Comments

[Aimee]

I can only share my husband's experience here. He was diagnosed with nearsidedness and astigmatism in fourth grade, and by that point, he had been "faking" it for quite a while - sitting as close as he could to the chalkboard, right in front of the tv at home, making excuses to go to the front of the classroom so he could read what the teacher had written, etc. Obviously, it can happen pretty young. Four is younger than normal, but not everyone is average, so yeah. IMO, it's probably worth it to get him checked.

(And, although I don't know their stories in detail, I do have a couple of friends whose kids got glasses around the time they went to Kindergarten.)

[penny]

Absolutely keep the appointment. Don't hesitate. I blame myself to this day for my younger daughter's "lazy eye" problem. We only becoame aware of it when she was in 3rd grade - too late to be treated. "Lazy eye" has to be treated by wearing an eye patch (at least, that was the treatment back then...) before age 5. After that it's pretty much set, and although sufferers can see okay and read without glasses, they are doomed to have trouble with depth perception for life. This affects their ability to play ball games, drive a car safely, etc. Many preschools have eye screenings that alert parents to this problem, but if not, an optician sounds like a good idea.

[sng]

I'm not sure if an optician is the right person. They'll probably try to sell you some glasses. I think an opthalmologist is better for a thorough diagnosis free and clear of the sale of glasses.

[jay]

I remember struggling with vision problems throughout elementary school because I didn't realize there was a problem. After putting on glasses for the first time at 8, I was amazed at how different the world looked. I was basically functionally blind...

[perk]

Bridget, you're worrying about putting Punk through some kind of an ordeal when he gets his eyes tested. But surely there are opthalmologists specially trained to make the whole thing kinda fun for little kids, like a game? Pediatric opthalmologists, maybe?

[Cyberchondriacmom]

Well it's just, yeah, when we were at the ped's office recently I asked if they could check his eyes -- they used the usual letters chart -- and he cried and didn't want to do it. I figure the opthalmologist will be even worse because they blow that air on your eyes and what not. I know Punk will totally resist. Plus, how can they get an accurate reading when he's resisting any of the tests?
We are definitely going to a ped opthalmologist, but even still, Punk is a tough patient.

[grace]

Cybermom, I'm surprised that your pediatrician used the usual letters chart with Punk. See this article http://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/children.htm for other methods that should be offered to young kids.

[carma]

Hope the appointment goes well. My son started having trouble reading the blackboard in 3rd grade - although his eyesight is actually fairly good, he has an astigmatism which was causing the blurriness. His prescription is mild yet it definitely makes a big difference. He wears his glasses only when watching TV or at school to see the board.

[Cyberchondriac Mom]

Grace, great info -- thanks for sharing that link. The article says all kids should have an eye test at age 3(which mine didn't). Strange that my ped wouldn't have recommended this!
I am so glad we're switching insurance to a carrier that offers direct access to specialists. That should really help out with the kids' care (crossing fingers).

[carma]

Oh, and the good thing is that most eye doctors now use a computerized system to check the health of the eyes vs. dilating the pupils - which is so much more pleasant for kids.

[Cyberchondriac Mom]

Thanks Carma, what a relief to know the kid eye pros don't make little kids do letter charts and eye blowers any more.

[grace]

YOu know, if he's really such a tough patient (and I know kids can get to be really resistant to doctors), you might want to call ahead and "warn" the office that all "precautions" amd "preparations" should be in place when you get there and to minimize or scrap anything that might be the least bit invasive or threatening in the child's view. Maybe you could avoid calling the opthalmologist the "eye doctor" since the word "doctor" may have negative connotations. And - yet another suggestion (I'm on a roll here)- since this is an outing you'll be doing without his twin, make it a special mother-son outing, complete with a novel activity to do in the waiting room, and (I'm still rolling) see if you can get the eye guy/gal to "check" your eyes too while you're there so Punk thinks it's a special activity for just him and his mom.

[Marcie]

Grace, that's some good stuff there!

Bridget, I got glasses in 1st grade. I hated them! I had to sit in the back corner of the classroom (we were sat alphabetically). All I wanted was to move up in the room. My teacher told my parents, and I ended up with glasses (and the opthamologist convinced my parents I needed eye therapy too. really.) Today I'm very near-sighted, so I suppose they were right on some level, but I hate to admit that.

[Kathy]

I'm a school nurse and urge you to please take him to a pediatric ophthalmologist (that's a specialist who has a medical degree--an optometrist does not have a medical degree but does have several years of specialized training regarding the eyes). Ped ophthal. are great with small kids;if you have any concerns you could take him to one who also treats kids with developmental delays-they are ESPECIALLY good with kids. As a school nurse I am amazed at how many good parents have never taken their children to any type of eye doctor. I'm even more amazed that when I notify parents about a possible problem after conducting a vision screening they often respond "But he never said anything about not being able to see!" My response to that is children don't know that they are supposed to have clear, crisp vision, they think that everyone sees the way they do. If he does have a problem please follow up yearly (or as directed by the doctor) to insure any changes are corrected. Even if he is fine, I still urge parents to have their kids' eyes examined at least once every two years. Remember, eyes grow and change just like the rest of the body does! (Just for the record, I started wearing glasses the summer before 1st grade and continue to this day more than 45 years later. I also had to wear a patch over my right eye to correct lazy eye--I hated it at the time, but of course now I am grateful for the treatment.)

[Cyberchondriacmom]

Thanks for all the advice Kathy, Grace. He'll be seeing a ped ophthalmologist in early Jan and yeah, I'll prime them before we go. Poor little dude!

[fey]

I agree with Grace. Avoid the word "doctor" if you can. I would freeze up and be absolutely oppositional if I heard that word when I was a kid. Try "eye checker" or "eye helper" instead.

[ksmomma]

Some eye professionals will actually give a three year old a first exam for free. I live in a small community and even they offered it. It don't hurt to ask.