23 September 2003
Nine out of ten parents fear their children losing their sight above all other senses, and yet it is now likely that school children in Britain may only ever have their vision screened once. If the recommendations of a new Government Body publication are followed, the UK may soon have the worst child vision screening system in the developed world.
“This is a truly alarming development which could leave children exposed to sight conditions that are difficult or impossible to cure in later years,” said Iain Anderson, Chairman of the Eyecare Trust. “A child’s sight is fully formed by the age of seven, so it’s vital that problems are detected early to avoid a lifelong visual handicap. By far the most common problem in people under 20 is amblyopia (lazy eye) which if left untreated can result in a permanent loss of vision, but even simple short or long sight can ruin a child’s progress at school permanently.”
One of the aims of National Eye Week (22-28 September) is to alert parents to the decline of vision screening in schools and the importance of regular sight checks for all children. The new publication, the fourth edition of Health for All Children, recommends that children should have their vision screened at 4-5 years old and that no further checks should be carried out in primary schools. It also recommends that vision screening should only be carried out in secondary schools where a programme is already in place, but it should be done once at most and no new screening should be introduced. Children with colour vision deficiency could easily go undetected too, as Health for All Children says no attempt should be made to screen for colour vision defects in primary schools.
“Recent research has shown that approximately one in five children have visual problems, and more than two thirds of those are not receiving professional care,” Mr. Anderson added. “Most parents assume that children will have their sight checked regularly during the school years as part of wider health monitoring, but unfortunately this is not the case. Optometrists agree that children should have their eyes examined annually, and although any child up to the age of 19 in full-time education can have a proper eye examination paid for by the NHS, many parents do not take advantage of this.”
Frank Munro, President of the College of Optometrists, believes it is wrong that the onus should be placed on parents or the children themselves to pick up sight problems. “Some of the most common problems are almost impossible to spot by a lay person and, as they often don’t hurt the child, they can easily be ignored,” he said. “A full eye examination carried out by a qualified optometrist is the best way of detecting problems early to ensure they are treated successfully.”
Research carried out by Prof David Thomson of City University in London has found that almost one in five school children have a problem with their eyes. "Most learning activities require a good standard of vision and many children are being disadvantaged at school because of poor vision", said Prof Thomson. "Most of these problems can be detected very easily by vision screening".
Among the most common vision problems detected by vision screening pre-school children are amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (squint). According to Mr. Munro, neither of the common terms are very accurate: “Lazy Eye implies a weakness in the eye muscles or an eye that doesn’t have the strength to focus straight ahead. In fact, it’s really a case of the eye being ignored by the brain because the picture signal it’s sending is inadequate. This can be caused by a number of things which can be put right relatively easily if they are detected early.
“Squint is sometimes obvious, but can often go unnoticed. In this condition the two eyes are not parallel to each other and do not work as a team. Both conditions can make it difficult or impossible for the brain to assemble clear 3D images and in the worst cases sight in the affected eye can fail to develop properly, leaving the eye partly useless in adulthood.
“Contrary to popular belief, a child will not ‘grow out’ of either condition and they need to be treated before the age of six. For this reason we recommend that regular eye checks should start from birth, but potentially the most important check will take place at three or four years old. No child should be deprived of these checks, or the tragic consequences could affect the rest of their life.”
By taking your children for regular eye examinations you will be helping to ensure they have the greatest gift you can give them – lifelong good vision.