80% of what we perceive from our surroundings comes from our sense of sight. With proper preventative care, parents can help their children preserve their sight for years to come, and experience the world around them to the fullest!
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Childhood Eye Development Timeline
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, as an infant grows, their visual acuity is constantly improving. The ability to focus, perceive depth, track moving objects and convergence (both eyes focusing at the same time on an object,) are strengthening each day. As your child develops, watch for these eyesight milestones:
4-6 Years Old
• Immediate letter and object recognition.
• Reading skills. Improved convergence, helping a child to follow the words across a page.
• Eyes working together well, so depth perception is excellent.
• Can easily judge spatial distances between objects and themselves.
• Comfortable playing basic sports and traversing confidently
3-4 Years Old
• Enhanced hand to eye coordination, evidenced by better puzzle solving and toy building.
• Visual memory improvements. Can draw shapes from memory.
• Can read most lines of an eye chart.
Common Eye Problems
In 2024, a local charity conducted a vision screening programme at eight Cayman nurseries and preschools. They discovered that out of the 260 children examined, 62 required further testing and more than 1 in 20 were subsequently found to need glasses. Working with an eye specialist throughout your child's development is vitally important as many conditions can be corrected if treatment begins early enough. Some common eye problems that can present in children include:
Some of the more common eye problems that present in children include:
1) Refractive Errors:
They arise when the shape of the eye prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, causing blurry vision. Common types include near-sightedness (Myopia): distant objects appear blurry; far-sightedness (Hyperopia): nearby objects appear blurry, and astigmatism, which causes blurry vision at any distance. These can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or even laser surgery.
2) Amblyopia:
Also known as ‘lazy eye’. This is a vision disorder that can be caused by poor alignment of the eyes. Over time, the brain fails to process inputs from the affected eye, favouring the other. If left untreated, images from the affected eye will be blocked out permanently. Regular eye checks can catch amblyopia at an early stage.
3) Binocular Vision Disorders (BVD):
This disorder occurs when the eyes struggle to work in unison. It disrupts the brain's ability to form a single clear image, leading to problems like double vision, headaches, and dizziness. BVD can be caused by misaligned eyes, focusing issues or weak eye-teaming skills. Treatment may involve glasses, vision therapy and in extreme cases, surgery.
4) Conjunctivitis
More commonly referred to as ‘pink eye’, conjunctivitis is a highly contagious (although rarely serious) inflammation of the thin clear tissue that lies over the white part of the eye. This inflammation causes a redness, or ‘pinkness’ of the white of the eye and is usually accompanied by a thick, yellow discharge, indicating an infection. Visit your eye specialist if you suspect your child has pink eye.
5) Strabismus
Also known as 'crossed-eyes' or a 'squint', it is a condition where the eyes don't point together. This happens because the muscles controlling the eyes aren't working well. It can cause one eye to turn inward, outward, upward or downward. Strabismus is treatable and early detection is important to prevent vision problems later in life.
Four Tips for Eye Health
Here are some proactive ways parents can help maintain their child’s eye health:
1) Regular Eye Examinations:
The first line of defence in maintaining eye health. Your paediatrician will examine the eyes of your baby sometime within the first six weeks after birth. After that, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that children have their first eye exam between 6-12 months of age, then at least one other eye exam between the ages of 3-5 years. From ages 6-17 years, the AOA advises annual eye exams to ensure optimal eye health and development.
2) Balanced Diet:
A healthy diet lays the foundation for good eye health. Zinc, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E can help prevent infections, reduce any future risk of eye diseases, and even fight night blindness. Include lots of fruits, leafy greens, and good fats in your child’s diet.
3) Protect Eyes from the Sun:
A child's eyes, which are not yet fully developed, let in 70% more of the harmful UV rays emanating from sunlight than an adult's. Excessive UV exposure has been linked to cataracts, retinal damage and even eye cancer. Always ensure that your child is wearing sunglasses that block 99%-100% of UV light to ensure maximum protection.
4) Limit Screen Time:
As children spend increasing amounts of time online, protecting young eyes from overexertion has never been more important. Implement the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes children should look away from the screen at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds – this will help with eyestrain.
Watch for Warning Signs
Keep an eye out for the following symptoms, which could suggest your child is struggling with a vision problem. As always, if you suspect there is an issue, speak to your child’s GP.
- Rubbing their eyes frequently
- Squinting when reading or focusing on something
- Light sensitivity
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Excessive tiredness
For a list of eye specialists in Cayman, see the list below.
Tip
Family History: As with any physical trait, eye health (and eye weaknesses!) can be passed down from parents to children. If you and your partner are nearsighted, farsighted or have an astigmatism, there’s a chance your child will present with the same eye issues too. Speak to your GP about any specific concerns you have about your family history with eye health.
