Protecting young eyes: What parents need to know about children’s vision health

Protecting young eyes: What parents need to know about children’s vision health

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As August marks National Children's Eye Health and Safety Month, it's a critical time to remember that a child's vision is essential for their overall well-being and academic success.

Many vision problems in children go unnoticed because kids may not know how to articulate what they are experiencing.

According to Dr. Evan Silverstein, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, parents are a child's first line of defense. He urged them to look for key red flags that may indicate a vision problem.

"Those things that you are looking for is, you know, turning the head in order to try to see better, squinting," Dr. Silverstein said.

He added that, while not every child needs a full eye exam, parents should "absolutely see an eye doctor if there are problems or if there's a strong family history of issues."

The most common vision issue, he noted, is a need for glasses to correct conditions, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism.

(Photo credit: 8 News)

(Photo credit: 8 News)

(Photo credit: 8 News)

"Vision screeners at the pediatrician do a very good job at picking those things up as well as a strabismus or an eye misalignment," Dr. Silverstein said.

With nearsightedness becoming a growing problem in children, experts emphasized that balancing screen and outdoor time can help slow its progression.

"We recommend that children get outside at least two hours a day, and that can be with recess and other playtime," Dr. Silverstein said.

He also stressed the importance of safety during play.

"If you are playing with Nerf guns or any other projectile toys, it is absolutely imperative that you have your child wear protective glasses," Dr. Silverstein said.

In Virginia, the legislation requires children in public schools to be screened in kindergarten, third grade, seventh grade and 10th grade.

Dr. Silverstein, who also serves on the board of Conexus, an organization that provides free vision screenings and glasses to students, highlighted the importance of school screenings.

(Photo credit: 8 News)

"We're trying to get it [screenings] done as early as possible in the school year," Dr. Silverstein said. "There are some schools [where] this organization comes in and does a refractive eye examination -- meaning an examination for glasses. And those glasses, if needed, are given to the children, for no cost, for free."

Conexus typically conducts these screenings at the start of the school year, but the specific timing depends on the individual school's schedule.