16 September 2024

College urges parents to start sight tests before school age

Children

The College is urging parents to begin taking their children to see an optometrist before school age, especially if they or their parents require glasses with a strong prescription or there is any family history of eye problems.

We commissioned a survey which asked parents about their own experiences of eye care when young, and about their children's eye health and eye care. The results revealed:

  • On average, children in the UK are five years old before they have their first eye examination
  • Almost one in two parents believe their child’s eyes would have been permanently affected without an eye examination
  • One in five parents rely solely on school vision screenings
  • Almost one in two parents unaware of importance of early eye examinations for children
  • Almost a quarter (23%) were unaware that children’s sight tests are funded by the NHS

Over a third (37%) of the children who had seen an optometrist were shortsighted. One in five (20%) were diagnosed with a lazy eye* (or amblyopia) and these children’s sight would have been permanently affected if their problem had not been picked up in their sight test. 

Parents said that they had their eyes checked for first time at nearly nine years old, and more than a quarter (28%) said this didn’t happen until they were ten or older.

Denise Voon MCOptom, Clinical Adviser to the College

“We are urging parents of toddlers to start having their sight checked by an optometrist at around age three. This is especially important if there is a family history of needing glasses but is advisable in any case.

“Schools do provide eye checks to early-stage children, but provision is patchy. Even when it is available, the checks are very basic and don’t include a full eye health check. It’s great that some schools do provide them, but only an optometrist can carry out full eye health checks and for children under 16, NHS checks are free. Lots of parents don’t realise this.

“The College of Optometrists wants parents to begin sight tests early, in much the same way as they start taking their children to the dentist. Ideally, we would like this eye care advice included in every new parent’s advice manual – the red book – that they take home with their new baby. This would really place eye health where it needs to be for our children”

*Lazy eye, also known as amblyopia develops when there is a disconnect in how the brain and the eyes work together, and the brain doesn’t recognise the sight from one eye. If left untreated, the vision in the affected eye will be permanently weakened. It needs to be detected when children are between the ages of three and seven, and the earlier the better. Otherwise, it is simply too late.

Sign in to download our social media assets below.

Related news

National Eye Health Week highlights importance of good eye health
Public health

CPD Countdown: Professionalism and Specialty CPD (AS/SP/IP)

Optical museum opens its doors to hundreds visitors for Open House London
Museum

Sign in to continue

Forgotten password?
Register

Not already a member of the College?

Start enjoying the benefits of College membership today. Take a look at what the College can offer you and view our membership categories and rates.

benefits of membership

Related further reading

Navigating nystagmus

Kaye McIntosh on managing patients with nystagmus in the consulting room – patience is key in examinations.

Children Public health

Is working distance a myopia risk in children?

Becky McCall analyses the evidence that working distance increases the risk of myopia in children, and the escalation of time spent on screens is related to the surging incidence of myopia around the world.

Children Myopia

How would you deal with helicopter parents during an eye exam?

In each issue, Acuity poses a topical question to a panel of members.

Children