Eyecare for Children
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20% of children have an undetected eye problem.
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Babies are born colour-blind but generally develop full colour vision within 6 months.
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1 in 12 Boys have a colour vision deficiency.
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Males are more likely to have red-green colour blindness than females.
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Around 75% of a child’s learning occurs visually.
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The eyes have roughly 2 million working parts.
Examination
At Radlett Opticians we undertake eye examinations for children as young as 3 months old. At a young age we are looking for any gross anomaly such as a turning eye (squint), lazy eye (amblyopia) or white pupil.
We recommend seeing a child before the age of 5 to diagnose a lazy eye and treat accordingly.
It is advisable for all children to have an eye examination at least every 2 years.
The eyes are crucial for learning and personal development. Children eye examinations are generally covered by the NHS and if spectacles are required a contribution from the NHS will be received.
Options
If your child requires glasses one of our dispensing opticians will help you to find a frame that fits well and suits them. Every child needs a pair glasses that they enjoy wearing or they will not wear them when they need to which could cause a long term issue in their visual development. For young children Tomato glasses are a great option as they are completely adjustable, from the length of arms and nose pads.
If a child requires glasses all the time a good alternative could be contact lenses which our optometrists will be happy to discuss.
For shortsighted (myopic) children a brilliant option is Ortho K lenses (Eyedream) to slow down the progression. All you have to do is wear the custom lenses overnight, in the morning take them out and you will have crisp, clear vision.
