Yes, My Child Wears Glasses

I originally posted this back in 2013. Yes, my daughter wears glasses and has been wearing her glasses since she was about a year.

Every once in awhile when I am out and about I get a feeling of being followed. I get a tap on the shoulder or I am just stopped and asked the big question “How did you know your child needed glasses if you don’t mind me asking?” I am all too happy to let them know.

When my daughter was first born we noticed a slight turn in one of her eyes. Since I myself wear glasses and it is an inherited issue I knew that she would eventually need glasses. I never thought it would be at the young age of one, but it was, so yes, my child wears glasses.

At about 6 months we started noticing her eye turning more frequently. An appointment was made with our family doctor to get his advice on the matter. We were referred to a children’s Eye Specialist and had an appointment within a few months.

Our visit to the specialist finally came and we were given a prescription for drops to be administered to her eyes the day of her next visit. 3 months later, she was given her first prescription for glasses. We were told that not much is done for a child’s eyes until they are around one.

Newborns have their eyes checked after birth to rule out any eye conditions, such as a congenital cataract. But when should we start booking our babes for regular eye exams? “If your child isn’t exhibiting any abnormality or there isn’t a family history of eye problems, checkups usually begin around age two or three,” says Dr. Rajiv Bindlish, an ophthalmologist in Oakville, Ont. “A family doctor or optometrist can do a screening to see if your child has any signs of amblyopia [lazy eye] or strabismus [when an eye turns inward or outward, sometimes called a cross-eye]. If this is the case, your family doctor can refer your child to an ophthalmologist or optometrist.” While these conditions are not extremely common – one to five per cent of children have amblyopia and about five per cent have strabismus – if they’re not detected early on, they can lead to serious visual consequences. If nothing unusual is found during the screening, most children can have their eyes checked every one to two years after that.

Read the article further at Canadian Living

My Child Wears Glasses

my child wears g;asses

Our daughter sees the specialist now on a regular basis (3-6 months). At 2 1/2 she was given a slightly stronger prescription. Now at almost 3, she gets nightly drops in her good eye to help strengthen her weaker eye. We are currently awaiting her next appointment in August.

If you live in Ontario, OHIP provides services for children under 20 and adults over 64 as needed. No matter what age, young or old, make sure to have your eyes checked regularly.

The new school year is the perfect time to have an eye exam. Check Ontario Association of Optometrists to find one near you.

Next post coming out this week…How to Keep Glasses on an Infant.