Dr. Kar and associates at Bayview Optometry, offer examinations for everyone, at every age, including children and infants. Eye exams are an important part of your overall health care, not just in managing or diagnosing vision problems.

Pediatric eye exams are important for early development. Infants should have their first exam around six months of age. By this time, they should be able to focus and see colours. 

Detecting abnormalities early is crutial for identify any vision problems early so it doesn’t hinder a child's development later. 

Things you can look for at home

• excessive eye rubbing
• eye crossing
• frequent blinking
• not tracking moving objects well
• not holding eye contact

Premature babies are more likely to have vision problems, so it is even more important that they be seen at this age.

What happens at their first optometry appointment

Dr Kar will first check the baby’s pupils’ response to light. Then he will test whether the baby can fixate on an object and follow it as it moves. He will then check the strength of their eyes by making sure they see within the normal range for their age. Finally, he will look inside the eyes to make sure that all the structures in the eye have developed as they should.

If any problems are found, a plan of treatment can be discussed, which may include corrective lenses. Yes, babies can wear glasses! If there aren’t any problems, children should be followed yearly for their annual eye examinations, which are covered by OHIP until the age of 19.

Despite our wealth and a robust health care system, vision disorders are a common pediatric health problem in Canada. It is estimated that nearly 25% of school-age children have vision problems. Many preschool and school-age children are not receiving adequate professional eye and vision care. “One of the challenges is that many parents assume they would know if there was a problem and in many cases that simply isn’t true,” said Dr. Paul Geneau, President of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

Children are highly adaptive and they assume that everyone sees the way they do, so even if the problem is impacting their vision they may not indicate any problems, he added.

It has been estimated that only 14% of children under 6 years of age receive professional eye care. The early detection and treatment of eye and vision problems needs to be a major public health goal. An important component of this continuum of care is for all children to receive a comprehensive eye examination before entering school.

Vision affects every aspect of a child’s development, from gross and fine motor skills to language. It also impacts a child’s learning, including reading, note taking, participation and paying attention in class.  All of these things can have a tremendous impact on children’s self-esteem. They can become frustrated with learning, behavior and discipline problems can follow and eventually lead to school dropout. The cost of lost vision for children is high and can be long lasting.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists encourages parents to consider the cost of lost vision and make sure their children receive the eye health care they need. Children should visit a visit a doctor of optometry regularly.

​New research from the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science and CNIB found nearsightedness in children increases drastically from Grade 1 to Grade 8, with almost a third of the cases going undiagnosed and uncorrected.

The landmark study, entitled “Myopia Prevalence in Canadian School Children,” found nearsightedness, also known as myopia, increases from six per cent to 28.9 per cent between the ages of six and 13. Children from the Waterloo Region District School Board and Waterloo Catholic District School Board participated in the landmark study, with 17.5 per cent of them being nearsighted. 

“Historically, myopia started at age 12 or 13, but now it is showing up more often in kids six or seven years old,” said Dr. Mike Yang, lead investigator and clinical scientist with the Centre for Contact Lens Research (CCLR), Waterloo. “Our eyesight as a population is deteriorating and at a much younger age.” 

Researchers were most surprised by the number of myopia cases that go undetected. Myopia typically worsens until the age of 21. With the study’s findings showing an earlier onset age in today’s children, it is possible they may experience a much greater decline in their eyesight over their lifetime compared to previous generations. The researchers plan to extend the pilot study to populations nationwide, looking at eye health within different ethnicities and environmental settings. 

“We expect to find the same results in children across the country,” said Dr. Keith Gordon, Vice-President Research, CNIB. “It’s important for school-aged children to get an eye exam every year, as recommended by the Canadian Association of Optometrists. However even with annual check-ups, parents need to ensure that their children spend less time in front of screens and more time outside, even if it’s just one extra hour a week.”

According to the report, children of a parent with myopia have more than double the risk of developing it themselves. However, the study found that spending one additional hour per week outdoors significantly lowered the odds of children becoming nearsighted. 

“Kids don’t know they can’t see the blackboard,” said Prof. Deborah Jones, co-lead investigator on the study and a clinical professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at Waterloo. “This kind of gradual deterioration in eyesight easily goes unnoticed without regular eye exams.” 

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is an inherited condition known as a refractive error. For proper eyesight, the cornea (the clear window in front of the eye) and the lens (behind the pupil) must properly focus or "refract" light onto the retina (at the back of the eye). If the length or shape of the eye is not ideal, the light may get focused too early or too late leaving a blurred image on the retina. Those with myopia can clearly see objects up close but not those at a distance. 

Prof. Lyndon Jones, professor in Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science and director of the Centre for Contact Lens Research, was the principal investigator on the project. The project development team included Dr. Keith Gordon, Vice-President, Research at CNIB, as well as Desmond Fonn, professor emeritus at Waterloo, Jill Woods, clinical research manager, and Doerte Luensmann, PhD, clinical scientist at CCLR.

About CNIB

CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. For more information, visit www.cnib.ca.

About the University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo is Canada’s top innovation university. With more than 36,000 students we are home to the world's largest co-operative education system of its kind. Our unmatched entrepreneurial culture, combined with an intensive focus on research, powers one of the top innovation hubs in the world. Find out more at www.uwaterloo.ca

Changes to your vision in pregnancy can occur at any time, but near the end of your second trimester you may start to notice changes getting worse. If you suddenly find yourself squinting and rubbing your eyes while reading, even with your contacts, you are not alone. 

Hormones are decreasing your tear production, which can lead to eye irritation. They can also increase fluid build up in the eye, which can temporarily affect your vision. 

It's all completely normal, although that's not likely to make the symptoms any less annoying. 

You may be tempted to fix the problem by getting new glasses, but you may want to hold off on that. Everything should go back to normal once the baby is born. 

If, however, the changes to your vision are drastic and it's effecting your ability to drive or do daily activities, give us a call. Dr. Kar would be happy to see you to put your mind at ease. 

Learn more about your vision during pregnancy: 

• Vision Changes During Pregnancy - BabyCentre.com
• Pregnancy and Vision - WebMD
• Blurred Vision During Pregnancy - What To Expect

Whether it's serving healthy meals, encouraging physical activity, or helping with homework, parents are focused on setting their children up for success. Despite those efforts, sometimes children have a hard time at school and find themselves struggling to keep up with their classmates. What a lot of parents don't realize is that an undetected vision problem may be to blame.

Optometrists help detect and treat vision and eye health problems early, allowing children to reach their full learning potential. Here are four reasons why parents should book regular comprehensive eye exams for their children:

1. Eighty per cent of learning is visual. Impaired vision in the classroom can hinder a child's ability to learn and perform. Children may have difficulty seeing the board or absorbing what they read. This coupled with eye strain and headaches can make for a very unpleasant school experience. Undetected and untreated vision problems can also elicit some of the same signs and symptoms that are commonly attributed to issues such as ADHD, dyslexia, and speech problems.

2. Many eye conditions and diseases go undetected. Eye exams are important for charting a child's eye health and ensuring they have the visual skills necessary for learning and development. But did you know they're also key to overall health maintenance? Optometrists are able to look at the structural development of the eye and identify underlying health conditions such as retinoblastoma (the most common type of eye cancer in children) and diabetes.

3. Eye exams are not the same as vision screening or sight tests. Many children participate in vision screening or sight test programs at school, which some parents misinterpret as a comprehensive eye exam. These school-based tests are limited and can't be used to diagnose a vision or eye health problem. Studies have shown that vision screening tests have high error rates — nearly half of children with a problem are able to pass undetected.

4. Children's eye exams are covered by Ontario Health. Ontario Health covers the cost of annual eye exams for children until they turn 19 years old. Optometrists recommend children have their first comprehensive eye exam between six and nine months, their second between the ages of two and five, and one every year after that. 

As parents and children choose after-school activities for the year, the Ontario Association of Optometrists is reminding them to keep eye safety in mind. Eye injuries like retinal detachments, ultraviolent light exposure, and foreign objects in the eye can be easily prevented by wearing protective eyewear.

No matter what activities your child is participating in, it's important that they are properly protected. Optometrists can help prescribe and fit children with proper eyewear. Glasses and goggles can also be customized with a prescription if necessary. Here are some options to consider when it comes to protective eyewear:

1. Sport glasses. Whether children are interested in a high-contact or low-contact sport, it's important their eyes are protected from finger pokes, elbow nudges, and flying balls or birdies. Children who play any sport may benefit from protective polycarbonate sport glasses. The polycarbonate material is impact-resistant and blocks out UV rays, making it a safe choice for activities like soccer, basketball, tennis, and badminton.

2. Swimming goggles. Goggles are a must for children who like the water. The chemicals in pool water can wash away the eye's protective tear film, leaving it susceptible to bacteria that causes pink eye. Reduce the risk of infection with properly fitting swimming goggles. Test the fit by pressing the eyepiece around the eyes without pulling the strap around the back of the head. If the goggles stay in place without slipping off, they're a good fit. If they sip off quickly, try a pair with a different sized eyepiece or nose piece.

3. Sunglasses. Any time children are headed outdoors, it is important that sunglasses are worn to block out harmful UV light. Be sure to select quality sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB radiation and 75 to 90 per cent of visible light. Sunglasses are just as important in the winter, especially when the harsh sun reflects off of the snow.

4. Safety eyewear. Just as scientists and construction workers wear protective eyewear, children should be protecting their eyes when performing tasks that could result in a foreign object landing in their eye. This includes chemicals, sawdust, and other types of debris. Schools often provide protective eyewear when there is an immediate risk of this nature, but it's best to double check to be safe.

Parents know their children inside and out — they know the age they started talking, exactly how they act when they're upset, and the types of food they just can't stand. But they might not know if their children are struggling to see. Despite a parent's best efforts, it's not always easy to tell if a child has a vision problem.

Children assume that the way they see the world is normal, so they rarely complain about their vision. That's why it's important to pay attention to the top 10 signs that a child may be having a hard time reading, seeing the board, and keeping up with their classmates.

Parents and teachers should keep an eye out for children who:

1. Have a short attention span for their age.
2. Perform below their ability level and struggle with reading, writing, or learning.
3. Lose their place while reading or need to use their finger as a guide.
4. Hold their head close to books or their desk while reading or writing.
5. Avoid or dislike tasks that require detailed work, like playing with Lego or drawing.
6. Experience frequent headaches, nausea, or dizziness.
7. Complain of burning, itching, or blurry eyes.
8. Excessively blink or rub their eyes.
9. Turn or tilt their head to use only one eye, or cover or close one eye.
10. Have eyes that move independently of each other, or eyes that cross or turn in and out.

While these behavioural and physical signs may indicate that your child is struggling to see, many children show no physical symptoms at all. The best way to know for sure is to take them to a doctor of optometry for a comprehensive eye exam.

The Ontario Association of Optometrists recommends that children have their first comprehensive eye exam between six and nine months, their second between the ages of two and five, and one every year after that. OHIP covers the cost of annual comprehensive eye exams for children until they turn 19.

During an eye exam, an optometrist will test not only how well the child can see, but also their overall health. An exam can reveal everything from vision impairments like nearsightedness and astigmatism to potentially serious health conditions such as diabetes and some cancers.

www.newscanada.com

Back-to-school is often a hectic time for most parents as they scramble to check everything off their to-do lists. But even though vision is key to a child's success at school, many parents forget to include eye exams in their late-summer prep. If you're one of these parents, it's important to get your little scholar's eyes checked as 25 per cent of school-aged children have a vision problem according to the Canadian Association of Optometry.

“Children easily adjust to their surroundings and often don't realize they cannot see clearly because they assume everyone sees the same way they do,” explains Amber Fournier, registered optician. “Over three-quarters of visual learning happens in the first 12 years of a child's life, so back-to-school is the perfect time for parents to book an eye exam for their child. It's important that kids are able to see the chalkboard and any print and online materials to help them succeed in the classroom.”

Experts recommend that school-aged children receive an eye exam once a year. Most provincial health programs cover the cost of an annual exam for children up to 18. A regular eye exam can be the difference between success and failure for a child, and can even help explain learning difficulties. For example, 60 per cent of learning disabilities are thought to stem from undiagnosed eye problems, and 60 per cent of children with reading difficulties may have an undiagnosed vision problem.

The Ontario Association of Optometrists recommends annual eye examinations for school-aged children. Children's eye examinations are covered by OHIP once per year. ​