This year parents, teachers and children participating in Children’s Vision Day focused on eye health and its role in individuals’ learning and performance capacity across almost all everyday activities. Students were taught interesting facts about vision and eye health with engaging activities, learning material and sight tests provided by Optometry Australia, and developed an understanding of how the eyes work and the necessity of everyday protection. The Children’s Vision Campaign also provided learning material for parents and teachers, which includes methods of identifying vision problems, habits to improve everyday home and classroom eye safety, and ways to encourage children’s general health, which is intrinsic to eye health. Signs of child vision problems Parents look out for the following • Sitting very close to the television or holding a book close • Squinting frequently and tilting head to refocus • Short attention span • Rubbing eyes regularly • Sensitivity to light • One crossed or wandering eye • Red or watery eyes • Difficulty with intricate tasks, such as tying shoe laces • Complaints of headaches or blurred vision Teachers look out for the following • Reading very close to a book • Difficulty in reading and writing, skipping difficult words • Difficulty with gross motor skills and sports, such as catching and shooting • Inability to recognise faces and objects from a distance • Squinting frequently and tilting head to refocus • Short attention span • Rubbing eyes regularly • Sensitivity to light • One crossed or wandering eye A wandering eye or uneven focus may not seem particularly damaging to the child’s vision at a young age. If these conditions continue untreated, however, the brain will eventually neglect the weaker (wandering/unfocused) eye and establish the other as dominant eye. If nerve endings cease to develop between the brain and this eye, by the age of nine or ten, the child could suffer permanent loss of sight in the weaker eye. Creat ing a healthy eye environment Parents and teachers should engage in the following types of behaviour to encourage optimal eye safety in the child’s familiar environments: • Regular visits to the Optometrist, especially if early warning signs arise • Always read with good lighting and avoid glare • Limit television and computer use and encourage breaks during use • Reduce glare during smartphone and tablet use Eye protection • Always wear a hat and sunglasses outside and for sport and recreation • Young children should always be sheltered from direct sunlight • Ensure sunglasses have approved UV protection • Teach children never to look directly at the sun and avoid sun glare • Don’t allow children to wear other children’s glasses • Be careful with all lotions and creams around the eyes • Use helmet and eye protection during some sports (cricket) Chi ldren’s Hea lth Obstetrics Gynaecology IVF / Infertility Dr Penelope Isherwood is happy to see you for Obstetric, Gynaecology and IVF-infertility consultation and treatment. Her aim is to provide her patients with the best care possible, tailored to their circumstances and preferences. Phone. Email. Web. (07) 5597 2660 Fax. (07) 5597 2667 reception@drpenelopeisherwood.com.au www.drpenelopeisherwood.com.au
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Four
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