Childrens eyecare is one area where we feel very strongly about, and we believe it should never be taken for granted.
As children grow, their eyes naturally change in size and shape and this may affect the way their vision develops. Keeping a regular check on their eye health and sight helps ensure that their vision develops normally into adulthood.
An eye examination also detects whether a child needs glasses to see clearer or not. Research studies in the past have shown siginificant improvements in exam grades when a child's vision is made clearer through spectacles.
Large prescriptions, often only in one eye, can go undetected in many circumstances because the 'good eye' compensates for the other.
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Often in such instances when the prescription remains uncorrected, the vision in the poor eye never develops fully, leading to a condition known as amblyopia, or 'lazy eye'. Such eyes would remain underdeveloped, and never be normal in adulthood, even with the aid of spectacles later on.
We recommend getting your child's eyes first tested when they start school, and at a minimum interval of 12 months until they're 16. In some instances, the optometrist may feel that a child may need more regular monitoring, and this is usually when there is a problem present.
Children's eye tests are free under the NHS, and should they require spectacles to correct their vision, the optometrist will issue a voucher that will go towards their pair of glasses.
Students
Student aged 16, 17, 18 and 19 and in full-time education also get an NHS eye test and help with the cost of glasses at a minimum interval of 2 years. |
