This academic school year—in addition to the usual school supply lists and purchasing of new shoes—parents must think about COVID-19 positivity rates, appropriate face coverings, and reliable in-home internet access. Whether your child will be learning in the school room or remotely, their eye health is important and should not be overlooked. Douglas R. Fredrick, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explains what parents need to know about their child’s vision.
Should I wait until after the COVID-19 pandemic to get my child’s vision checked?
Please do not delay having your children examined. It is important to make sure their vision is sharp and their eyes are healthy. Most of our sensory connection to the world is through our eyes. Children who do not see properly can have difficulty developing academically and socially. If we catch and correct vision problems early, we can improve children’s day-to-day life and functioning in school. We can also detect eye conditions that could lead to further problems down the line.
While COVID-19 is still of great concern, Mount Sinai Health System has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure every patient receives the best possible care in a safe environment. We have developed stringent protocols to protect your family and our community. For instance, face coverings are mandatory and social distancing is enforced throughout the Health System. Additionally, we disinfect continually and regularly test our staff for COVID-19.
How often should I have my child’s eyes checked?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that pediatricians and family practitioners examine the eyes and check vision in newborns, age two months, six months, one year, then annually until age six, then every other year until age 18. Most pediatricians check vision every year during their annual exam, and many school districts perform screening each year, beginning at age five or six.
What are the signs that my child has vision issues?
If you notice your child squinting or tilting their head to see objects that are far away, rubbing their eyes after reading, or if their eyes drift toward the nose or outward—as though they are trying to see their ears—you should schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician for a vision exam. The same is true if your child complains about fuzzy or foggy vision. I also recommend that parents check in with their child’s teacher as they may see vision impairment related behaviors in the classroom.
My child is struggling with vision issues. How can I help?
The first step is to see your child’s primary care provider who will check for any other health conditions that may be contributing to your child’s difficulties. If the pediatrician finds decreased vision on a screening exam or has any other concerns, they will refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist. These ophthalmologists have additional training in caring for children and often have specialized equipment and child-friendly offices.
During the examination, the ophthalmologist will do a thorough exam of your child’s eye—probably using dilating eye drops. If the doctor finds that your child is nearsighted or has another vision issue, they may prescribe glasses. If the examination is completely normal but your child is still having a problem with reading or learning, your primary care provider may refer you to an educational specialist or school learning specialist to test for learning disorders and make recommendations.
My child will be learning remotely this school year and I am concerned about eye strain. I’ve heard that blue light glasses can help with this issue. Is this true?
Blue light glasses are special eyewear that block or filter the high-energy blue light coming from computer, tablet, and phone screens. It is not clear that they help with eye strain or eye disease. A recent study performed at the State University of New York School of Optometry found that these glasses did not decrease eye strain with “near work”—activities that require near vision such as reading, writing, and watching television.
While it won’t hurt to use these glasses, there are better ways to reduce eye strain. For instance, have your child hold their reading material, laptop, or tablet at the appropriate distance and make sure they have enough light to see—but not so much it causes glare on the screen. It can also help to have your child take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes when they are doing screen work. I recommend giving your child a task that gets them on their feet and their eyes off the screen, like feeding your pet or taking out the trash.
Should I limit how much time my children spend on screens?
All children will be spending more time with their eyes on the screen this year than in the past and that is going to make it hard to limit screen time to the typical recommendation of two hours a day. This year, instead of enforcing strict limits, try to keep track of what they’re doing with their screen time. Although most of their screen use should be educational, you’ll need to allow time for play—both to relax and to enable them to have social time with friends. Physical activity should also be a part of their daily routine. The key is finding a balance. For more on how—or whether—to limit your child’s screen time, read this blog post from Mount Sinai pediatrician Micah Resnick, MD.