Why eyeglasses are important in childhood

For eye defects, glasses are important as early as possible

05/10/2013

For the child development the vision is enormously important. Later options, such as career choices, depend very much on healthy eyesight. Eye defects should therefore be treated as early as possible, because what is not treated until school enrollment can cause problems later.

Five percent of children with poor eyesight
About 90% of our sensory impressions are perceived through the eyes. Later options, such as choosing a career, depend very much on a healthy vision. However, not all boys and girls look good. Professor Joachim Esser from the Schielen Department in the Professional Association of Ophthalmologists in Germany, explained: „About five percent of all children have low vision, so-called amblyopia.“ The head physician of the Sehschule at the University Eye Hospital Essen explained that in the vast majority of cases problems would be present in one eye and warns: „These one-sided visual weaknesses are particularly treacherous.“ Because the chances would be particularly bad that parents or other people discover this. Because the children behave quite normally, because they see well in one eye.

Marked in the first six to seven years of life
It is important for the effective treatment of vision problems to recognize them already in their infancy. Yorck Walpuski, ophthalmologist in Kiel, explained: „Seeing is a brain phenomenon“ and „There is only a certain time window in which the brain can be imprinted for seeing. This time window is in the first six to seven years of life.“ If the brain during this time, for example because of certain eye diseases, not sufficiently sharp visual impression is offered, it can no longer learn full vision. And that not even if a later treatment succeeds. Therefore, in the context of statutory check-ups, the eyesight of infants is checked. In particular, the newly created pediatric medical check-up U7A, which was created five years ago, focuses on the early detection of eye diseases. It takes place at the age of 36 months and if abnormalities are detected, the pediatrician will refer you to the ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologists advise additional investigations
However, Professor Esser and his colleagues at the Ophthalmologists' Association say that it is advisable to introduce every child between the ages of two and four to an ophthalmologist in addition to the check-ups. Because only he could perform certain special procedures of early detection and thus increase the chances of early vision problems. In any case, it is important to bring children to an ophthalmologist immediately if parents notice any abnormalities. Esser explains: „With special age-appropriate methods, eyesight can be seen relatively safe even with babies and very young children.“

When squinting mask one eye
There are very good treatment options for vision problems if they are detected in time. In the two most common forms of visual defects in toddlerhood, squinting and the so-called refractive error, the physicians have two simple, yet highly effective forms of therapy available: When squinting, one eye is masked and glasses are prescribed in case of refractive error. „When squinting, one eye sees with its center another object than the other. To avoid double vision, a brain protection mechanism comes into play“ so Walpuski. „The brain shuts off one eye, usually the squint eye. The child develops only one-sided good vision.“ When the healthy eye is masked in infancy, the brain turns back and learn to see again with the eyesight. In the case of a refractive error, ie in case of short-sightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, the child can not see clearly on the affected eye. Such problems have to be compensated with glasses, so that the brain optimally learns to see on both sides and does not develop permanent visual impairment.

Mild hyperopia in toddlers normal
In infants, mild hyperopia is considered normal and the eye can usually compensate for it. Walpuski explains: „Therefore, you would not prescribe spectacles until about plus two dioptres, but only with greater farsightedness.“ In myopia, ie diopters in the minus range or in a corneal curvature, children, however, always need glasses, the ophthalmologist. In addition, glasses may be necessary for congenital organic eye diseases, such as cataracts. However, such cases are much rarer.

Wear glasses as permanently as possible
The optician Friedemann Bruske from Berlin explained: „Important for the acceptance of the glasses and the therapeutic success is that the glasses like the child and also optimally fits.“ Children make up 80 percent of their customers, three percent are still babies. According to his experience most of the first prescriptions are for glasses in children between the age of two to three years and in preschool. Most boys and girls would accept their glasses well and if there are problems with very young children at first, there are simple tricks: „Certain things like reading or reading books are then only done with glasses. Mostly it is possible that the children accept the glasses very quickly.“ Children should be motivated by their parents to wear the glasses as permanently as possible. „Seeing must be learned. This can only work if you permanently improve the visual impression“, so the expert. (Ad)