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Tuesday's Health Report: Children should get eye exams before the first day of school
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BATON ROUGE — With the school year just around the corner, now is a great time for children to get an eye exam.
Good vision is crucial to a child's proper learning.
"When kids are starting school, we want to make sure that they can see well enough so that when they're going to school, they are able to focus on learning, and that their vision isn't getting in the way of their ability to learn and communicate with others," pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Allison Babiuch said. "So unfortunately, if a child isn't able to see well enough, that might hold them back and get them behind in school."
Children sometimes don't realize they are experiencing vision issues because it is how they are accustomed to seeing, according to eye doctors.
Signs to watch out for include kids squinting while reading, tilting their head or moving closer to an object to get a better look. Screenings for children normally begin around three years old.
"When you're at the pediatrician, or the schools, and they do a vision screen, that is just checking their vision," Babiuch said. "When you come for a full eye exam with an eye doctor, typically you're getting dilated. That's the eye drops that make the pupils big and your vision blurry. But it allows us to see inside the eyes to make sure everything's healthy and also allows us to get an accurate glasses prescription."
If your family has a history of vision issues, it is important to let your child's pediatrician know. The sooner problems are caught, the better.
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