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Early Eye Intervention For Children

Children who have vision loss might have normal-looking eyes. It might appear as something about a child’s behaviour or habit that makes you think there might be a problem with the way he sees.

Most babies start to focus on faces and objects by 4-5 weeks of age. By about 6-8 weeks, most babies will start smiling at the familiar faces and things they see. Babies with vision impairment might have problems doing this.

In young babies, signs can be as subtle as:
– Eyes move/ jerk/ wander randomly or quickly
– Eyes don’t follow your face or an object, or minimal eye contact with family and friends
– Eyes don’t react to light being turned on or off pupils seem white or cloudy
– Eyes don’t line up but look turn in or outwards

We are launching the “Open Your Eyes” Preventive Eyecare campaign to highlight the dangers of not having a regular eye examination every two years and to encourage people to come in and have their eyes tested.

The main reason someone visits an optometrist today is that they experience some kind of vision change. Unfortunately, many symptoms of eye disease are either invisible or not immediately obvious, so it is really important that Australians of all ages not wait for a problem before seeing their local optometrist. This routine should start from pre-school years and then regularly thereafter.

Eye consultation is the main weapon against avoidable vision loss and blindness by picking up early signs of eye disease so it can be diagnosed and treated.
The 360 degree eye consultation includes a holistic and extensive eye examination plus advice on health, diet and lifestyle and the latest eyewear solutions for maintaining healthy eyes and vision. Once your child has a diagnosis of vision impairment, you can get access to early intervention services and specialists. Children with all kinds of vision loss can get a lot out of early intervention.
As parents, choosing the right toys for eye safety is important. Children are born with an immature visual system that needs to be stimulated in order to promote normal visual development. The good news is nothing stimulates a child’s vision more easily than a toy. But it’s important to choose toys that are safe. We will cover more on toys and eye safety in our next article.

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Specialising in the Little Ones!

Many more pre-schoolers are using iPad and other digital devices for learning as well as entertainment. Thus it is important for us parents to understand the risks and benefits of exposing our children to devices.

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Food for Healthy Eyes

Few lifestyle choices can also help to restore our eye health; such as wearing a hat or sunglasses to block harmful UV, maintaining a healthy weight, be aware of the family’s eye health history and reducing screen time to minimise the absorption of the harmful blue lights our smart devices emit.

1. Carrot
It is true that beta carotene, a type of vitamin A, that gives the orange hue helps the retina (back of the eye) and the eyes to function smoothly.

2. Leafy Greens
They are packed with antioxidants; lutein and zeaxanthin to lower the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin can also act as natural sunglasses, forming macular pigments to filter the harmful sun’s UV rays. It seems that the antioxidant-rich greens such as spinach and kales can mop of the free radicals accumulating in our retina.

3. Vitamin C and E
Antioxidants found in vitamin C (found in citrus fruits, broccoli and kiwi) and E (found in vegetable oil, avocados and nuts) as well as lutein and zeaxanthin (described above) can really protect our eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration.

4. Eggs
The yolk of an egg is packed with lutein and zeaxanthin as well as zinc. Having two eggs a day can safely increase of levels of lutein and zeaxanthin without increasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Unless your doctor advises otherwise, you can go ahead and enjoy eggs regularly without worrying about the cholesterol content.

1. Fatty Fish (DHA)
Low levels of DHA in the eye has been linked to dry eye disease and other eye conditions. Tuna, salmon, anchovies, and trout are rich in DHA, which is naturally found in healthy retina. DHA is found at the highest concentration in the retina, compared to other parts of the body. Researchers have found that having two serves of fish a week is linked to lower risks of macular degeneration and other eye conditions.

1. Consider a Supplement
If you cannot commit to eating healthy for your eyes, supplements can help combatting many of the eye diseases. However; it is always best to get nutrients from food first. The current supplement formula being studied in major research trials includes 10 mg of lutein (the equivalent of about 3 cups of spinach), 2 milligrams of zeaxanthin and 1 gram total of EPA and DHA (approximately what you get in a 3-ounce serving of salmon). There is no advantage to take it above the suggested dose, and to take it under medical supervision.

Simple Kid-Friendly Blueberry-Peach Smoothie 

Mix : ¾ cup blueberries, 1 small peach, ½ cup juice or any type of milk, ½ cup plain yoghurt, 1 tablespoon honey, small amount of flaxseeds, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth and stir before serving; this smoothie will pack everything in for breakfast or on-the-go snack.

Having a good eye health is crucial for good health and wellbeing; and simply visiting your eye professional can be your very first step to be sure that your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing the best.

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Protect your Children’s Eyes From UV

Australians are educated since a young age to put on sunscreen
and to understand the dangers of sun exposure to our skin.
However, what about the sun’s impact on our children’s eyes?

Hats and good UV protection sunglasses are best to protect the whole family’s eyes from the risk of eye diseases and vision loss caused by UV.

Why “sunscreen” for eyes?
Australian Skin Cancer Foundation found that “our eyes are 10 times more sensitive than our skin”. We need to protect our family’s eyes from glare and damaging UV rays. While the early morning sun is a good source of vitamin D, we need to limit the exposure of harmful UV to our skin and our eyes. Excessive UV exposure to our eyes may cause certain eye conditions and diseases such as cataracts, pterygium, and skin cancer around the eye.

“I wear sunglasses during summer”… Think again…

Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world, which means during our winter months we are also exposed to the same UV rays and glare. Dangerous UV rays can be reflected off wet surfaces, roads, pavements, and snow.
If we or our children spend a lot of time outdoors, look out for wrap-around sunglasses with good UV rating (Australian Standard level 3 and 4 for the highest glare protection). When unsure what to look for; ask your local optometrist for advising what is best for you and your children.

Did you know that children are more sensitive to UV than adults?
Believe it or not; we receive 80% of our lifetime’s exposure to UV before our 18th birthday. If you think about it; children go outside during recess or lunchtime at school, they play outside with their friends, play outdoor sports, go to outdoor playgrounds, or simply walking to and from school. It is very important that our children spend time outdoors to enhance their learning; however, as parents, we have to provide required protection for their skin and eyes.

Slip Slop Slap
It has been shown that only 32% of Australian children protect their eyes from UV compared to 57% of their Australian parents (according to WHO research 2001). The good news is that we have easy access to protection UV eyewear in Australia; wearing a wide-brimmed hat and good quality sunglasses will reduce glare and stop the harmful UV rays that can penetrate our children’s eyes.

I must admit, as a parent myself, it is difficult to be consistent and persistent to get our child to wear sunglasses. When you have found some good sunglasses with proper UV protection, let your child have a say and pick out the design of the sunglasses they want. This will encourage them to actually wear them. Also, remember to model the wearing sunglasses habit; as our children like to copy their grown-ups.

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