Sight, more that any other sense, guides and shapes a child’s experience of life. Vision is the key to a child’s overall development – more than 80% of the information we receive about the world comes through our eyes. However, more than one in four children suffer from inadequate visual skills, and many children with learning and behavioural problems have reduced visual functioning.

BE AN EYE SPY

Problems with seeing clearly are common and fairly obvious, but other issues with binocular vision and visual performance are not so easily recognised.

Look for these signs:
• Complaining of blurry vision for the blackboard (distance) or reading (near)
• Sitting very close for reading and watching TV
• Squinting, excessive blinking, rubbing eyes, closing one eye, head tilting
• Poor posture, eye fatigue with reading, regular headaches
• Short attention span, slow reading, no interest in reading, poor school performance
• Clumsiness, poor sport skills, messy handwriting

MYOPIA – A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC

As a holistic optometrist, I always encourage a balance of indoor and outdoor activities. I am now seeing an unprecedented number of children and teenagers with myopia (nearsightedness). Lack of sunlight exposure and excessive near work including device use is driving this change – it’s predicted that by 2050 half of the world’s population will be short-sighted. Try and spend the recommended 2 hours per day outside – it’s great for sunlight exposure, exercising vision into the distance, changing focus from far to near and back & being more aware of our peripheral vision.
Ensure your child has a chance to use other sources of entertainment and relaxation besides TV. Remember, parents are powerful role models!

We are living in an era where children seek their entertainment up close, on TVs, laptops, Ipods, Ipads and phones, sometime for hours at a time. My recommendations for limiting digital device use:
* No TV before school nor just before bed
* 30-60 minutes viewing per day
* Sit at least 3 metres away from TV and have physical breaks during commercials
* Dont watch shows on your tables up-close
* Watch educational shows with few commercials – help your child choose the programs

ACTIVITIES TO OPTIMISE KIDS’ VISION

The ‘nature versus nurture’ debate, which considers the relative importance of genetics versus environment, can also be applied to eyesight. In my 25 years of practice, I have often identified certain lifestyle factors contributing to eyesight difficulties. It is important to provide a rich and nurturing environment for children to develop optimal vision and visual skills. From birth, a child is learning to see. There are critical periods early in life for brain, sensory, motor and vision development. Encourage crawling, creeping, rolling, jumping, climbing and kicking. Also, if the birth has been long, complicated or assisted, I suggest a cranial osteopathic assessment. To stimulate visual development in toddlers, use building toys, finger paints, clay, card games, memory games, matching, colouring-in, cutting, dot-to-dot, mazes, jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers and bedtime stories. When older, try team sports, riding bicycles, jumping rope, gymnastics, trampolining, rollerblading and ball games.

DEVELOPING GOOD VISUAL HABITS

Adopt positive visual habits with study and close-up activities.
Some suggestions:
• Read with natural, bright during the day
• Try not to read in bed (poor lighting, close proximity and poor posture)
• Look away from reading every few minutes, out the window or around the room – focus on clearing a distant object
• Take a physical break from reading every 15 minutes; stand up and stretch; • Wear glasses only when and where advised
• The parent can set up an individual workstation for the child, with appropriately-sized desk and chair
• Computer screen should be 15 degrees below line of sight and 50 – 70cm away
• When on the computer, keep head balanced, back straight, arms close to body, hands level with wrists and feet on the floor
• No night light while sleeping.

Regular check-ups by optometrists can provide early vision therapy and correction where needed. I recommend a comprehensive eye examination at age three before commencing school. Testing should be carried out annually during school years, particularly if there are symptoms, a family history of eye problems or a child is not working to their best capability. Prevention is better than cure!