Just because something can evade detection doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Often considered the hidden “-opia” because of young eyes’ ability to accommodate for it, hyperopia in children is difficult to research – particularly as most infants have some degree of hyperopia that typically reduces, via emmetropisation, to low levels in the first few years of life.

In a review of 40 cross-sectional studies, the prevalence of hyperopia ranged from 8.4% at age six to 2% to 3% from nine to 14 years and approximately 1% at 15 years. Age was shown to have an inverse association with hyperopia in terms of associated factors. The frequency of hyperopia was higher among white children and those who live in rural areas (Castagno et al, 2014). When uncorrected, significant hyperopia (≥3.0 to ≤6.0D in most hyperopic meridians of at least one eye) has been shown to be associated with significantly worse early literacy (VIP-HIP Study Group, 2016). It can also make it difficult for children to focus for long periods, says Sarah Flanagan MCOptom, optometrist at Bayfields Opticians, Morpeth. “They may become easily distracted or lose interest in activities that require prolonged close concentration vision. This is likely to stop children with uncorrected hyperopia from reaching their full potential in school.”