Sponsored by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind
The first time Braydin Trickett told his mother he had a headache and needed to rest, Samantha Trickett put it down to her rambunctious six-year-old trying to cram too much life into too little time.
When it happened again – and several times after that – she grew puzzled. His Grade 1 teacher had even placed him at the front of the class because he was often squinting. Still, he seemed to be healthy, so Ms. Trickett didn’t think much was amiss.
A visit to Dr. Laurie Canham Kilby, doctor of optometry, suggested otherwise. It turned out that Braydin had amblyopia – lazy eye – so severe that what most people could see at 20 feet seemed like 600 feet to him.
“I almost cried when she told me how bad his vision was,” says Ms. Trickett, 28, a mother of three. “I mean, he played with his brothers, did all the normal stuff. They’re into fishing and hunting but he literally couldn’t see things … I thought, ‘How did I miss this?’ It was devastating.”
But not for long. A week later, sporting new glasses, Braydin saw the world – really saw it – for the first time. Within two months, his eyesight had measurably improved. The headaches have disappeared along with the occasional clumsiness and faltering grades in school.
The change was a revelation, and not just for Braydin. His mother is now an advocate for eye exams for children by a doctor of optometry as early as infancy, and especially before they start kindergarten.
“It’s quite sad to see so many kids like this. I had asked [our family doctor] if we should have the boys checked when they were younger and he said, ‘Not until school age’. I thought we’d bring them to the eye doctor at the same time as the dentist.”
She adds, “The only thing that’s made me feel better, at the end of the day, is that I’m not the only parent who’s gone through this.”
In fact, there are many parents going through it, says Kerrie St. Jean, national manager for child, youth and family services at CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), a charity that provides support to people who are blind or partially sighted of all ages.
Ms. St. Jean says that until eye exams are given the same priority by the public as immunization programs and dental checkups, a surprising number of Canadian children will start school with less than perfect vision.
“It’s important to know that almost 80% of what we learn as humans is taken in visually,” she says. “It’s what motivates people to move, connect socially and react to threat. If there’s a problem with your child’s vision, CNIB can help with strategies that need to be taught to a child, so they’re not being left out or left behind.”
The trouble is that unlike tooth decay, for instance, poor eyesight or eye health can be difficult to detect without a proper eye exam because children are so adaptable.
“Parents think that if there’s something visually wrong, the child will let you know. But children have nothing to compare good vision to bad vision,” Ms. St. Jean says.
She advises that parents look out for telltale signs of vision problems their child may be displaying, including being overly clumsy, squinting, rubbing their eyes, blinking excessively, moving their head instead of their eyes, sitting too close to the TV, being disruptive in class (which can come out of frustration that they can’t see what they’re hearing) or complaining about headaches.
“But the reality is that you can’t wait until you notice the signs and symptoms,” says Ms. St. Jean, emphasizing that early and regular eye exams from a doctor of optometry are the only definitive way to know if your child is seeing as well as they should be.
Part of the fallout of not taking children for eye exams early, she adds, is that some children with poor eyesight and resulting behavioural issues end up being wrongly labelled with ADD or ADHD.
“It’s frustrating for doctors of optometry. They have a 12-year-old getting their first eye exam,” she says. “Yet that can be too late, since children’s eyes are still developing and are fairly elastic until the age of eight, so they need to be treated early.”
Vision isn’t the only issue at stake, however. According to Thunder Bay Ont.-based doctor of optometry Dr. Paul Savioli, early eye exams can detect serious issues such as retinoblastoma, a rapidly developing cancer in the back of the eye that can only be detected with a full exam.
“Doctors of optometry can do testing to pick out early abnormalities …” says Dr. Savioli. “Something like retinoblastoma can spread to other parts of the body. It happens in childhood and it’s treatable.”
In fact, he says, it has one of the best cure rates of all childhood cancers.
Overall, Dr. Savioli says, it’s vital to get children tested early, first at six to nine months, then at two to five years old and every year after the start of school, until the age of 19.
“There are eye conditions that are asymptomatic, so you need to get testing done regularly,” he says. “Children’s bodies change and grow. If a child has normal vision at five, it’s important to know that they may not stay in that state forever.”
May is Vision Health Month. Learn more at eyesareforlife.ca.
Eye health tips for kids
Managing your child’s eye health requires vigilance, an early start and a little bit of ingenuity, say the experts. Here are their top tips:
• Make eye appointments with a doctor of optometry part of the regular health checklist, along with a dental checkup, immunization and hearing tests.
• If you notice behavioural issues in your child, especially when discussing anything visual, consider taking him or her to a doctor of optometry.
“If they’re closing one eye when they’re concentrating, have a funny tilt to their head, have poor concentration or get easily irritated and give up on visual tasks, it’s time for an eye exam,” says Kerrie St. Jean, CNIB’s national manager for child, youth and family services.
• Just as we protect our skin from sun damage, eyes need a barrier against ultraviolet light, too.
“A lot of children won’t wear UV protection or any eyewear when playing sports. Buy cute or funky UV-protected sunglasses and let them pick them out. It’s not just a summertime thing, either. There’s so much glare in the winter and that can cause damage,” says Ms. St. Jean.
• If your child gets sand or any other foreign object in their eye, don’t let them rub it.
“Flush it out with saline. Use over-the-counter artificial tear drops as directed and if it’s still bothering the child, see a doctor of optometry. If there’s something in there, or a cut on the eye, they can remove the foreign body or treat the abrasion. We have the necessary equipment to see what’s happening,” says Dr. Paul Savioli, a doctor of optometry in Thunder Bay, Ont.
• Avoid conjunctivitis. Commonly known as pink eye, conjunctivitis can be a bacterial or a viral infection that can start as a cold or respiratory tract infection, and spread from there.
“Quarantine your child if they have conjunctivitis to prevent the spread of infection. Doctors of optometry can treat an eye infection,” says Dr. Savioli. “Make sure if your child has a cold that they wash their hands frequently.”
• Good nutrition is key to eye wellness. Ensure your child has a regular source of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as fish high in eye-protecting omega-3 fatty acids, such as cod, mackerel and wild salmon.
“Our eyes are dependent on the rest of our body,” says Dr. Savioli, “so good overall health affects your eyes as well.”
