Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. explained that that school eye exams are an important part of what we do for children this month. “Parents need to help children gearing up for the new school year by scheduling a thorough eye health and vision exam,” commented Dr. Leslie Doctor. “Often after having enjoyed the summer months, kids aren’t really attuned to changes in their vision until they have been back in the classroom for a while. By that time parents and teachers are wondering why their students are not off to a stronger start to the academic year.”
In addition, Doctor & Associates wishes to announce that Prevent Blindness America has designated September as Children’s Eye Health & Safety Awareness Month. Eye and vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school aged children. Parents should be aware that it is possible for their children to have a serious vision problem without even being aware of it. Infants should be screened for common eye problems during their regular pediatric appointments and vision testing should be conducted for all children starting at around three years of age. If there is a family history of eye problems or if an eye problem is apparent, it is important to bring it to the attention of and eye doctor so that they can advise the parents about when and how often their child’s eyes should be examined. Among the conditions an eye doctor will look for are amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), color deficiency (color blindness) and refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). "Aside from vision threatening conditions, eye screenings for children are important because vision changes can occur without you or your child noticing them," said Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates. “If your child is having trouble seeing the blackboard or the words in a book, learning, as well as participating in recreational activities can be impacted. While vision problems can interfere with school performance, it's important to distinguish them from learning disorders”, commented Dr. Leslie Doctor.
“You also have to protect your child’s eyes from the danger of eye injuries. Be sure that the toys your child plays with are appropriate for his or her age and maturity level. Avoid toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts. Participation in any type of sport also could endanger your child’s eyes, so make sure he or she wears appropriate protective eyewear,” said Dr. Doctor.
If you have any questions or concerns about children’s eye problems, health & safety and would like to schedule an eye exam please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.
Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.
