Many parents do not consider checking their children’s vision unless there are large obvious signs of vision problems. However, it is extremely important to start doing vision screening yearly starting 6 months.
Why is important to do vision screening for children?
Children starting 6 months may have vision problems that go unnoticed. If the child is not assessed early on and referred to the correct doctor, it may lead to vision disorders such as lazy eye, vision impairment, and even permanent loss. You may not have known that these can be cured if detected early. You might be surprised to know that 95% of vision disorders can be cured if detected early.
You might be thinking that it would be very difficult, time consuming, and almost impossible to do a vision screening for a child. Especially a baby. Rest assured, there has been an extremely child friendly technology that uses auto-refraction technology that does not involve the usual lengthy process of vision screening. The new technology:
- Takes 2 seconds, literally. Versus the traditional 1 hour vision screening.
- It also never even comes in contact with the child, but does the vision screening from one meter away while the child is happily playing in the parent’s lap.
- Not only that, but provides information that is just as accurate.
- The results of the machine will provide whether the child has Anisemotropia (lazy eye), Astigmatism (blurred vision), Hyperopia (Far sight), Myopia (near sight), Corneal Reflex and Anisocoria. If the child does not have any of the conditions it will say “Pass” and if the child does it will say “Refer” as simple and accurate as that.
Below is a sample of a Refer sheet. You will be able to see Refer for Anisometropia and Astigmatism.
Only after this person got prescription glasses, did the result say “Pass”. So this vision screener can also be used to check whether the prescription glasses are appropriate or not.
As you can see technology has advanced tremendously over the past few years, and now you can screen your children’s vision easily and conveniently with no hassle for you or for them. This technology has saved the vision of many of our patients and will hopefully continue to do so.
Below is Corine’s emotional discovery after she discovered her son Nate had a vision disorder that she did not know about before the test.
“Imagine for two years, Nate has suffered from seeing like the rest of us. His prescription is +4 far sighted! And I would have NEVER have guessed or even have known. I wonder how he would have struggled at school in years to come? The under development of his eyes and how this would have shaped him for his future? You don’t realize how important and crucial your eyes are until you are actually affected by it.I can’t thank Dr. Medhat enough for his help and keeping my little boy protected.” Corine – An Emotional Discovery
You can visit the following link to see the vision screening in action as myPediaclinic’s pediatrician Dr. Medhat Abu Shaaban discusses the vision screening on MBC1 Sabah l Kheir Ya Arab
Dr. Medhat Abu-Shaaban had used this technology for vision assessment in Dubai British Foundation and was featured on MBC1. You can see it on the following video: Dr. Medhat Abu-Shaaban, does vision screening for Dubai British Foundation
