Many children cause disruptions in class, do not pay attention during lessons and drop out of school early, leaving parents and teachers wondering why.  The answer in some cases may be an undiagnosed vision problem, which can contribute to poor school performance and delinquency.

National studies show that 20-25% of more than 39 million children are at risk to suffer from undetected vision problems.  Children’s eyes are one of the most basic tools they use for learning.  Impaired vision in children can seriously affect learning abilities and contribute to the development of behavior problems, such as attention deficit disorder. Children with vision problems are often not even aware of their difficulty, nor do they complain or seek help.  They have no point of reference when they’re young, and assume everyone sees as they do. Early discovery and treatment can prevent many of these problems.

Parents are often unsure about when a child should have their first eye exam.  Findings from a study conducted by the Southern College of Optometry in March of 2008 showed that of the 36% of children who had never had an eye exam by the age of five, 91% of their parents stated that they had passed the vision screening conducted by the child’s pediatrician.  In their minds, their child had no visual issue.  About 20% of these same children failed the comprehensive screening conducted by the Southern College of Optometry faculty.  Parents need to realize that the vast number of school and pediatric vision screenings do not test the child’s vision up close, they only test the child at distance.  This reflects the erroneous premise that if a child can see the board at school, then they must not have a vision problem.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Vision screenings are offered by many schools, and while they represent a positive effort to discover those students suffering from a vision problem, they also miss 30-40% of binocular vision disorders in children.  Binocular vision disorders represent problems with both eyes working together.  Children with these types of problems have no difficulty passing a vision screening.  They can often see 20/20 at distance with each eye individually; however, when using both eyes at near distances (i.e. reading) they may have a problem converging (pulling their eyes in) or accommodating (keeping things in focus at near).  If a child cannot look at something up close without discomfort, they won’t!  Unfortunately, these children are all too often mislabeled as “problem” children because they can’t seem to stay focused in the classroom.  Between 60-80% of my pediatric patients taking attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder medications have been diagnosed with binocular vision disorders, all of which are successfully treated with either vision therapy or glasses.  This is not to say, of course, that some children do not need these behavioral medications, but it is critical to have their eyes examined first.

If there is a family history of vision problems, the first exam should occur around the age of 6 months.  Not every eye doctor offers this type of pediatric examination, so be sure to check with the office when making the appointment to be sure that your doctor is comfortable with this.  If there is no family history of eye problems, the child’s first eye exam should occur around the age of three, and yearly thereafter.  Many parents assume that little can be accomplished through the course of an examination at this age; however, this is not the case.  Much critical information can be easily determined, even in babies.

A common visual disorder known as amblyopia (lazy eye) is an example of an ocular problem that can only be prevented if the underlying cause is diagnosed and treated early. The two main causes of amblyopia are 1) one eye being more farsighted than the other (the child will be unaware of this since they will see as well as the “good” eye sees) and 2) one eye being turned in or out relative to the other eye.  Family members will often notice this second cause of amblyopia, but there is no way for them to detect the first cause of amblyopia without taking the child for an eye examination.

Only one eye is affected in amblyopia, and sadly, these children are often not brought in to see the eye doctor until they become aware that they see poorly out of one eye.  If the child is older than 9 or 10, there is very little that can be done to improve their vision beyond what it already is.  Most people with amblyopia function well in life, however, their depth perception is less than what it should be, and may restrict their choice of occupation later in life.

If a child with amblyopia is brought into the eye doctor’s office by the age of 3 or 4, the central nervous system can be stimulated to improve their visual development until they are about 9 or 10 years old.  This is done through prescription of eyeglasses to fully correct each eye, and through patching of the good eye to “force” the brain to use the “weaker” eye more.  This stimulates the specialized vision cells in the brain to develop properly.  Every patient with amblyopia is unique, so the duration, frequency, and outcome of patching therapy will vary.

In addition to checking a child’s visual acuity and eye muscle coordination, a pediatric examination will also include an examination of their overall eye health.  Children are susceptible to many of the same ocular diseases as adults, although at a much lower rate.

Vision is the process of obtaining meaning from what is seen.  It is more than clearness of sight.  Good vision encompasses the ability to use the eyes for extended periods of time without discomfort, to analyze and interpret information, and to respond to what is being seen.  Good vision involves normal binocular vision, accommodation (focusing at near), ocular motility, and vision information processing skills, which allow us to respond to our surroundings.

Just about every parent makes sure that their child has their first dental exam before entering kindergarten.  Make sure to have their eyes examined by an optometrist as well.  After all, this is how they learn.

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The affects of vitamin D on the human body has been studied since the 1930’s however research is continuously being performed all over the world.  Studies are now looking at the ability of vitamin D to help combat the effects of aging in your eyes.

The most recent issue of Neurobiology of Ageing reports that a study at the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London has found some promising outcomes with their research.  Although they are still in the stages where they are working with animals they have found some inspiring results.

Without becoming technical on the findings, the researchers found two main areas in which vitamin D showed promise in helping prevent the aging process in your eyes.  The first area they found promise was that the vitamin D helped in the reduction of potentially damaging cells (macrophages).  These cells have been linked to inflammation which is something that we are all aware that we do not want to have taking place in our eyes.  The second area of encouragement the researches saw was a decrease in the amount of  toxic molecule (amyloid beta) deposits.  The deposits of this molecule will collect in your system as you age.

Together these findings are very encouraging because when these two factors come together they are the main cause for age related macular degeneration (AMD).  As you may or may not be aware AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 50.

With information from studies such as this showing encouraging results from vitamin D and the effects in could have on your vision your next question may be where are the best sources for vitamin D?  Well you can achieve your Daily Value by more than just your diet although that is a good place to start.

Pure Cod liver oil is one of the best sources of vitamin D. However, if that sounds like something more than you would like to try you can also enjoy a piece of salmon, mackerel or even tuna fish. Milk can be a good source of vitamin D just make sure it is fortified with the vitamin if you would like to use that as one your sources.

Another great source of vitamin D is the Sun.  When you are out in the sun UV rays trigger vitamin D production in your skin.  Now there are several factors that will affect the amount of vitamin D your skin will produce based on your geography.  For those of us in the sunshine state it is much easier to attain the 10-15 minutes needed for ample vitamin D production.  For those of you in a colder climate or a city where there may be more pollution the time may be a little longer.  If you are wearing a sunscreen over an SPF of 8 it will block the UV rays from triggering the production of vitamin D.

If you are not a fan of eating fish or being out in the sun you can always find vitamin D supplements. With some simple research on the internet you can find the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin D.

Periodic testing by your doctor will help you ensure that your vitamin D levels are consistent to where they need to be.

With encouraging findings from researchers and a relatively simple way to acquire the necessary vitamin D that your body need we hope that you attain these levels required and give yourself the best chance for combating the effects of aging in your eyes.

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