A child's development depends greatly on their capacity to see the world clearly. While some infants are born with a visual impairment that can be seen at birth, other infants may develop vision problems that are only discovered after an eye exam. Falling behind academically, avoiding books or pictures, or having a history of visual impairments in the family are all signs that your child may be having trouble seeing well. Some visual impairments may become irreversible if untreated. The good news is that many childhood eye conditions can be treated with glasses if they are discovered in time. Here's how you determine whether or not your child would benefit from wearing glasses.

Your child's ability to see clearly may be impeded by one of several eye disorders. However, amblyopia, usually referred to as lazy eye, is one of the most prevalent pediatric vision abnormalities. Amblyopia is a neural-developmental visual disorder in which there is a weak connection between the brain and one or, infrequently, both eyes. As a result, one eye is less sharp than the other. Amblyopia can result in a permanent loss of eyesight if untreated. Amblyopia is the one that causes us the greatest concern because if one child's vision is significantly better than another's from birth or even in very early childhood, the brain will eventually tend to neglect the eye that isn't seeing as well. Refractive errors like myopia, sometimes known as nearsightedness, and hyperopia, more often known as farsightedness, are other prevalent visual impairments. While myopia makes it difficult for sufferers to perceive distant objects, hyperopia causes close-up items to look hazy or out of focus. Despite the fact that myopia frequently runs in families, it is becoming more common in children, and researchers suggest that this may be related to the growing amount of time kids are spending staring at screens. Another typical vision issue in kids is strabismus, which is defined as an eye alignment issue that causes the eyes to not constantly point in the same direction. Amblyopia, severe hyperopia, or other medical disorders may be to blame for this. While the indicators of strabismus are quite obvious, not all eye disorders are, making it important to be aware of the warning signs of vision issues in children.

For a variety of reasons, children may find it difficult to tell their parents that they are having eye problems. For instance, they can be too young or believe their poor vision is normal. Fortunately, there are certain warning indications that parents can watch out for.

• Falling Behind in Class – If a child starts behaving poorly, acting out, or performing poorly in class because they are unable to see what is going on around them. Convergence insufficiency, a disorder that impairs the capacity to focus on close-up objects, can manifest as difficulty focusing and a resistance to reading and writing jobs that need close attention.
• Family History - Genetics often play a role in whether or not your child needs glasses. Myopia, hyperopia, and amblyopia are three conditions that are all inherited, meaning they run in families. The likelihood that there may be [an eyesight issue] is likely to be rather high if there is a family history, both parents wore spectacles as children, or even just one parent, thus it is worth checking into. 
• Eyes Aren't Tracking Together – Eyes tend to stray or cross during infancy. However, after about six months of age, misaligned eyes may be an indication of strabismus or amblyopia. When your child is fatigued, you could notice that this mismatch becomes more obvious.
• Sitting Unusually Close to an Object – If your child has a habit of holding books within an inch of their nose, it may be because they have myopia, which makes it difficult for them to focus on objects that are far away. "If they approach the television, get up close, and refuse to move back, that could be a sign of trouble.
• Reluctant to Focus on Near-Tasks: Children, who find it difficult to read books, look at images, or concentrate on other near-tasks may be showing signs of hyperopia or convergence insufficiency, both of which make close things appear blurry.
• Squinting: When your youngster is trying to focus on something, you might have noticed them wrinkle up their nose and squint. Squinting could be a coping technique for refractive abnormalities like myopia and hyperopia since it temporarily alters the structure of the eye.
• Persistent Headaches – Spending too much time staring at displays while studying, having fun, or chatting with pals online can cause asthenopia, also known as eye strain. Children who experience eye strain may experience dryness or fatigue in their eyes, as well as frequent headaches.

Once your child reaches the age of 3, they are able to receive their first comprehensive eye examination with either a pediatric ophthalmologist or pediatric optician.  An eye exam provides a more comprehensive assessment of your child's general eye health. Your child's first complete eye exam will probably be used to learn about any eye disorders or conditions that may run in the family, however every practitioner uses a different set of approaches. Your kid will be asked to read out letters that they can see more clearly than others if they are able to read.

The sight of your child is precious. By having regular eye screenings, you can help protect children from any long-term vision loss. Either a pediatrician or a family doctor can perform this screening. You might choose to have your child's eyes evaluated by either a pediatric ophthalmologist or an optician, though, for a more thorough checkup.

ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND

Reference:

https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-know-if-your-child-needs-glasses-6455908