What a Pediatric Exam Uncovers
Written by Josephine Ko, OD, FAAO Published on January 1, 2023.
Northeast Optometry, 60 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474
Some parents do not realize the importance of bringing their child to their annual routine eye exam. Just because it seems like the child can see does not mean they do not need an eye exam. Optometrists can detect eye diseases and co-manage with health conditions that may manifest in the eyes. They can also detect refractive errors where glasses and/or contact lenses can help improve the child's sight in order to do well in school. Some children have undiagnosed high prescriptions where if not fully corrected with glasses can cause amblyopia or a lazy eye affecting them permanently if it’s not addressed early enough. This may lead to permanent vision loss & developmental issues as well as problems in school performance and social interactions.
An eye turn such as exotropia or esotropia can cause reduced stereopsis or binocular vision where surgery or vision therapy may be a solution. It is important to know that refractive or strabismic amblyopia can permanently decrease a person's ability to see clearly, affecting them into adulthood. In addition, research studies show that visual motor skills and visual analysis are factors correlated to academic performance with math, reading and writing. When eye health problems are diagnosed and managed early on, it can have a significant impact on a person’s eye health and vision for the rest of their life.
Another pediatric concern is increasing nearsightedness which has become more common with the younger generation due to our technology-advanced environment with electronic devices. Higher myopic or nearsighted prescriptions are associated with higher risks of retinal pathology, glaucoma and cataracts later in life. Genetics and the environment are factors that can affect a child’s myopic progression. A specialty soft contact lens called, Misight, was FDA approved in 2019 and is designed to prevent progressing myopia by slowing the growth of prescription and axial length of the eye ball. This is an ocular health concern that is under addressed and a specialty not as well known, and Dr. Ko is one of the few providers in the area who can prescribe it!
How can you make an eye exam part of your child’s yearly routine?
It is not always necessary to take your child out of school to bring them to see the eye doctor. You can schedule them for an appointment after school or during their school vacation. Dr. Ko is also available some Saturdays. Check her schedule to find her availability!
The Misight 1-Day Contact Lenses program is available at Northeast Optometry. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Ko for an evaluation and fitting for these specialty contacts. Misight contact lenses was FDA approved in 2019 for myopia control.
References
Hopkins, S., Black, A.A., White, S.L.J. and Wood, J.M. (2019), Visual information processing skills are associated with academic performance in Grade 2 school children. Acta Ophthalmol, 97: e1141-e1148. https://doi.org/10.1111/aos.14172
Chamberlain, Paul BSc (Hons)1∗; Peixoto-de-Matos, Sofia C. MSc2; Logan, Nicola S. PhD3; Ngo, Cheryl MBBS, MMed4; Jones, Deborah BSc, FAAO5; Young, Graeme PhD, FAAO6. A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight Lenses for Myopia Control. Optometry and Vision Science 96(8):p 556-567, August 2019. DOI: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001410
Annechien E. G. Haarman, Clair A. Enthoven, J. Willem L. Tideman, Milly S. Tedja, Virginie J. M. Verhoeven, Caroline C. W. Klaver; The Complications of Myopia: A Review and Meta-Analysis. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2020;61(4):49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.61.4.49.