Most Young Children Overlooked for Crucial Eye Exams

A recent article in Vision and Eye News features a story on the fact that 76% of children younger than 5 do no receive eye exams.  Children are very susceptible to eye damage and having eye exams at an early age can help prevent eye disease in the future.

Revolution Eyes has a new program out to help Moms get a free exam when they bring in their child for a check-up.  You can read more about the program here.

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., September 2008 — Most children under 5 years old need but do not receive comprehensive eye exams that could be crucial for detecting vision-threatening conditions such as lazy eye (amblyopia), according to a major survey conducted by VSP Vision Care.

A survey of 3,930 U.S. residents found that about 76 percent of children younger than 5 had never undergone a comprehensive eye exam. The July 2008 survey also found that most adults (68 percent) wear sunglasses outdoors, compared to only 30 percent of children.

“While most people are becoming quite vigilant about using sunscreen to protect their skin, most parents may not realize that the sun’s harmful rays can also severely damage their children’s eyes,” said James Short, OD, chair of VSP Vision Care’s board of directors.