• TOPICS
Children as young as 6 months old or less may require an optical aid for good vision.
Refractive error in children may be hypermetropia (far sightedness), myopia (near sightedness) or astigmatism, all of which cause blurred vision in them. If not corrected, their consequences can be harmful, since vision mostly develops within the first six years of life.
Cornea and crystalline lens contribute the most to the converging power of the eye. Therefore, changes in the curvature or refractive index will affect the refractive status of the eye. The distance between anterior and posterior poles of the eyeball (axial length) governs the need for greater or lesser convergence of light. The refractive error depends on whether the eyeball is longer (myopia) or shorter (hypermetropia).
Refractive error has also been associated with prolonged near work. Today, virtual educational classes have further increased the risk of developing short sightedness in children.
Studies estimate that half of the world's population will go myopic by 2050. Besides, premature birth and congenital syndrome are found to be associated with the development of the refractive error.
Infants and pre-school children with vision problems may consistently sit too close to the object of interest. Besides, squinting, tilting the head, frequent rubbing and excessive watering of eyes, closing one eye to see better, complaining about headache and frequent tripping and bumping into things should arouse suspicion.
Young patients with vision problems cannot follow the class normally, as they have difficulty seeing words from a distance.
This can cause a child to be distracted and lose concentration and interest in continuing with his/her studies. Children with uncorrected refractive error adjust to the poor eyesight by sitting nearer to the blackboard, squeezing their eyes and even avoiding work requiring visual functioning. This may sometimes evade early detection.
Visual blur at the level of the retina later results in amblyopia, or lazy eye, which is reduced vision in one eye.
Stability in refractive error is evident between the age of 2 and 6 with a trend toward hypermetropic regression. Any significant refractive error during this phase or onward may cause amblyopia. Timely detection of vision problems and their correction can tremendously improve a child's potential during the formative year.
Refractive error may require spectacles, contact lens or intraocular lens. The choice of treatment depends on severity of amblyopia, age of the patient, presence of deviation and the compliance of children. If amblyopia goes untreated, temporary or permanent loss of vision can occur.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 15, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
