One of the many important responsibilities parents have is monitoring their child’s development – from first words to first steps. However, detecting vision problems can be more challenging. Unlike adults, children may not always recognize or express when something is wrong with their eyesight.
While there may be some more obvious signs that your child is struggling with vision problems, there may also be some lesser-known indications.
Here are some signs your child may have a vision problem:
- Eye strain, such as squinting and eye rubbing
- Head tilting
- Headaches
- Sensitivity to light
- Regularly complaining of eye discomfort, such as burning, scratchy, or itchy eyes
- Regularly complaining of blurry vision or double vision
- Avoiding activities such as reading, drawing, coloring, and playing board games
- Confusion of left and right
- Difficulty reading or learning to read
- Losing their place when reading or doing homework
- Abnormal eye movements, such as strabismus, commonly known as eye misalignment or lazy eye
- Poor school performance, grades, or behavioral issues – Sometimes, younger kids acting out in class is due to them not being able to read or see the board, and hence they cannot understand the instruction, making them disinterested in class.
- Sitting too close to the TV or holding the book or iPad too close to their eyes
- Covering one eye while reading a book or seeing objects
As a parent, make sure to keep these signs in mind and keep in close communication with teachers, as they can often be the first to notice vision problems in children. If you think your child may have a vision problem, schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor.
During a routine wellness visit with your child’s pediatrician, vision screening is one aspect of the overall exam. If your child is in need of a pediatrician, Valley Medical Group, in partnership with Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, provides compassionate pediatric care in a welcoming environment for newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults.
Valley’s team of pediatric specialists support the total health and well-being of children, with diagnostic, preventive, and treatment services. In addition, our clinicians focus on the physical and emotional wellness of each child, which includes monitoring their growth and development, and screening for health promotion and disease prevention.
To learn more about Valley’s pediatric primary care team or to schedule an appointment online, please visit ValleyHealth.com/PediatricPrimaryCare.
