Why is Vision Screening Important

Our sight is one of the most important of our senses. Our eyes help us navigate from one place to the next with ease. Vision is a precious gift that we often take for granted. Sight allows us to read, drive, play games, control our balance, enjoy a colorful rainbow and infinite other pleasures of life.

Vision screening is a very easy, effective way of finding and preventing permanent vision loss that occurs if left untreated. It is important to catch vision problems as early as possible. One out of every four school aged children have vision problems. Kids do not know they have a problem because it just seems normal.

Doctors check babies eyes at just a few-weeks-old looking for misalignment, movement of the eyes and check for cataracts and retinoblastoma, which is a rapid spreading cancer that develops in the cells of the retina. It causes the baby to be very sensitive to light and eventually blindness if left untreated.

A child who is between two to to six-weeks-old should be able to follow an object to mid-line. A child who is between one to three months should be able to follow an object past mid-line, and at three to five months should be able to see in at 180 degrees. If these milestones are not met, doctors are able to start checking for causes. Some of the causes are eyes that cross, nearsightedness, farsightedness and even misshaped eyes.

Vision screening is a very simple procedure. One places a flat object over one eye while trying to read letters or follow objects that are placed 10 to 20 feet away and then switch eyes. The child will read the chart until he can not identify the pictures or letters shown. This simple test will let the school nurse know if there is a problem. She will refer the child to an eye doctor.