College urges parents to start sight tests before school age
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.
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”