Most vision problems begin at an early age and if left untreated could get worse.
Hence, Optometrist Hambiah Liyana Hamzah from Focus Point, Ampang Point urges parents to be aware and proactive concerning their children’s eye health. They should get their children’s eyes checked if they notice anything different in their children’s vision skills.
Children require the following vision skills for optimal learning – excellent visual acuity at all distances; accurate and comfortable eye teaming skills; and accurate eye movement skills.
Routine eye checkups, said Liyana, is very important especially during childhood to ensure good eye health and there are no vision problems that could interfere with school performance and which could also affect the child’s safety.
“This is because children may not realise that they have vision problems and without routine tests, there would be a risk of missing any problem relating to their eyes.
“So, regular eye checkups will enable the children to get early treatment which will prevent them from getting any serious eye conditions such as lazy eyes, strabismus and many more.”
She shared: “It is recommended to get an eye checkup at the age of six months for infants and to continue doing so every six months until they are two years old.
“Meanwhile, for preschool children aged three years and above, a comprehensive eye examination will be carried out on them which includes a visual acuity test and binocular vision test.”
Signs to look out for
Observant parents would notice the signs in their children’s behavior, which includes:
- blinking and rubbing their eyes all the time
- moving nearer to the television or screens
- squinting their eyes to see
“These are red flags for the parents to get their kids’ eyes checked.”
Most of the clientele at Focus Point, Ampang Point are educated and working groups, who tend to be more attentive to their children’s eye care needs.
“We get lots of parents who are interested in getting their children’s eyes checked.
“And at Focus Point, Ampang Point, besides refraction, we basically have all the equipment needed for primary eyecare checkup and contact lens fitting such as keratometer, corneal topography, handheld tonometer, ophtalmoscope, retinoscope and slit lamp.” — The Health
