Expert ADVICE
DR. MARK RASMUSSEN, OD Financial Advisor
1651 Galisteo St, Suite 1 505.983.7746 ultimateeyecaresantafe.com
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hildren with uncorrected vision conditions or eye health problems face many barriers in life—academically, socially and athletically. High quality eye care, such as you receive with Dr. Mark Rasmussen, can erase these barriers and help enable children to reach their highest potential. Vision doesn’t just happen; a child’s brain learns how to use the eyes to see, just like it learns how to use the legs to walk or the mouth to form words. The longer a vision problem goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more a child’s brain learns to accommodate the vision problem. That’s why a comprehensive eye examination is so important for children. Early detection and treatment provide the very best opportunity to correct vision
Children and Eye Health Exams
problems, so your child can learn to see clearly. It amounts to making sure they have the best possible tools to learn successfully. At what age should you have Dr. Rasmussen examine your child’s eyes? We suggest at about six months of age. Eye and vision problems in infants can cause developmental delays. It is important to detect any problems early to ensure babies can develop the visual abilities needed to grow and learn. We test for three things: (1) excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, (2) eye movement ability, and (3) eye health problems. As parents, there are a few things to keep a watch for. In infants, look for excessive tearing, red or encrusted eye lids, constant eye turning, extreme sensitivity to light, or appearance of a white pupil. In preschoolers, look for sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close, squinting, tilting their head, frequently rubbing their eyes, turning their eyes in or out, sensitivity to light, difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination when playing ball or biking, or avoiding coloring, puzzles or any detailed activity.
It is important to know that a vision screening by a child’s pediatrician or a school nurse is not the same as a comprehensive eye and vision examination by Dr. Rasmussen. Vision screenings are a limited process, and can’t be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem. Whereas they may indicate a potential need for further evaluation, they also may miss as many as 60 percent of children with vision problems. Even if a vision screening does not identify a possible vision problem, a child may still have one. Passing a vision screening can give parents a false sense of security. Many vision screenings only assess one or two areas of vision. They may not evaluate how well the child can focus or how well the eyes work together to see. Additionally, color vision is generally not tested in a screening. Call Dr. Rasmussen today to schedule a comprehensive eye and vision examination for your child. A big thank you to AOA for the assistance in making this article happen.