Glasses for children

mumps

My son is all grown up now but when he was little I noticed a problem with his eyes. He had patches, glasses and two operations to correct his problems and by 11 he was fine. One word of warning to anyone with child wearing patches, they can become allergic to the adhesive on the patches, it happened to my son after he had been wearing patches full time for a couple of years. You can get special patches with hypoallergenic adhesive so if you get any signs of allergy do ask for the other patches.

Valli

Please don't feel bad...I didn't take my son to the opticians (he had passed all school tests) until I found out that the eye problems my nephews had (dad's side of the family not mine) were inherited and SIL suggested I get my two checked...and I watched, and listened in horror as it became apparent he too had a problem, albeit a slight one. Nevertheless reading glasses were prescribed.

HelenKA_2

Js_Other_Half wrote: »

Actually I am very unimpressed that we are all encouraged to register our children at a dentist from being very young, but we don't get any information about how important it is to take them for regular eye tests. After all, baby teeth fall out but if their eyes aren't sorted by 7/8 then it may be too late.

I agree with you entirely on this. B wouldn't have had to have the 6 hrs a day if we'd been picked up earlier, though she would still have needed glasses.

eyelinerprincess

I wasn't diagnosed with a sight problem til I was 7, and then I didn't realise I had one until the visiting optician made me cover my right eye and asked me to read the chart (I was only short sighted in one eye) and I duly replied "I can't see anything it's too blurry!"

jackomdj

Has anyones LO's eye problems been brought on by a viral infection? Our 2 year old DD was ill about a month ago (just high temp & nothing too serious - we thought) her eye started turning in occasionally. Two weeks ago it got more dramatic & she is looking at the nose with her left eye about 75% of the time. We saw the Doc on Wed & she is getting refeered to the hospital.

Having read on the net a squint can be brought on by viral infection & it all ties up with when it started (may be totally wrong though).

Similar to another poster it is amazing how many LO's have glasses on when you start looking. I hope our referal comes through quickly.

Nicky

chivers1977

I have worn glasses since 4 and am now 32 and still under the hospital eye service. If your child has a prescription which is out of the ordinary then they will be really well looked after. I still get NHS contact lenses (which I have to pay for) because apparently lenses are meant to keep my eyes the same shape - or not get worse so quickly. Am now minus 15 in both eyes and manage perfectly fine with a combo of lenses and glasses. Have had NHS lenses since 13.

Try not to worry and don't blame yourself. I took my son on Saturday expecting him to need glasses due to my high myopia but no......he read the bottom line of the chart (he is 4 next month!)

mumps

jackomdj wrote: »

Has anyones LO's eye problems been brought on by a viral infection? Our 2 year old DD was ill about a month ago (just high temp & nothing too serious - we thought) her eye started turning in occasionally. Two weeks ago it got more dramatic & she is looking at the nose with her left eye about 75% of the time. We saw the Doc on Wed & she is getting refeered to the hospital.

Having read on the net a squint can be brought on by viral infection & it all ties up with when it started (may be totally wrong though).

Similar to another poster it is amazing how many LO's have glasses on when you start looking. I hope our referal comes through quickly.

Nicky

My sons squint became noticeable after a bad bout of mumps, we were told it was linked but that the problem was there anyway I'm not sure if the high temperature made it apparent more quickly or triggered it in some way.

efrieze

My DD's presciption is +6 in one eye and +2.5 in the other.The difference is the problem causing suppression of the image ofthe weaker eye. She patches for 4 hours a day and has done for 6 months (since she turned 3). I also didn't notice any vision issues prior to her tests just slight squint in photos.

twinklie

I used to work at an optometrists and its very common really. There are so many kids out there that need glasses for varying degrees of sight problems. I found it's all in the way parents in particular approach the situation. If its portrayed to the child to be a positive then they are fine about it.

Some parents get really funny about it and uptight though which I think sets the kids on edge. Most just need a bit of a fuss making of them....a bit of oooohing and aaahhhhing and aren't they so pretty/handsome. They look all grown up etc.

Also, boys in particular are often swayed by action man frames!! Ha ha. Honestly, try not to worry about it. I bet she won't be.

dizziblonde

Kids' glasses are fab these days - I get quite jealous of some of the styles they come into school with! Even if they have to wear an eyepatch they get a choice of funky coloured ones - seen a fair few ladybird spotted ones around and stuff and it just becomes a non-issue for the other kids.

Once you get a longer-term prescription sorted build up a good relationship with an optician as you might well find you end up back there when the glasses get broken like they inevitably do on occasion - my old optician was great about being able to shove extra pairs through etc so I had spares.

Most kids just seem to view them in the same way as new shoes etc these days - I get comments when I change my frames and they tend to come into school and show off their new acquisitions. Course in the same way as new shoes.... they tend to become old quite fast lol - have spent many happy hours on hands and knees trying to find the screw that holds the arm of specs on when it's fallen out for various kids (I always do try parents - I don't just shove specs in an envelope and send them home - I try to find the missing bit desperately hard as being a glasses wearer myself I know what it's like).