YOUR BABY’S EYES ARE AN IMPORTANT ASSET

Vision problems run in my family. Out of my parents, three sister and I, I am the only one who doesn’t have to wear glasses. These statistics don’t show much favor to me when I become a little older, because more then likely I will have to wear glasses later on in my lifetime.

That is why I find it to be very important for my sons to get their vision checked on a regular basis. Look at these eyes:

They are absolutely gorgeous, but I know that there is a chance that if I leave it up to his pediatrician to remember to screen him then there is a chance that he won’t be assessed on a regular basis. Doctors, they are good, but my paranoia of knowing that five out of six people in my family wears glasses won’t allow me to become lack luster in the vision screening department.

When I found out that there was a new procedure that was non-invasive and used a child-friendly medical device to check my son’s vision, of course I had to do more research on it. It is called the Enfant Vision and it allows a pediatrician to test your child’s vision without having to dilate their eyes. (I know it is a struggle, even with my oldest two sons, to get those drops in their eyes.)

I didn’t know that vision disorders were the fourth most common disability among children. I can see how that could be an unknown fact to me, or any parent for that matter, since according to the American Academy of Pediatrics only 21% of all preschool aged children have their vision screened.

What I like about the Enfant Testing System is that they use animated characters and graphics, along with music, to test a child’s vision. Because doctor visits are already stressful, this is perfect for my 23 month old son who gets a bit apprehensive around strange machinery.

If you think your child may need to have his vision tested, take this really quick online quiz. It will ask you a few key questions to see if a vision screening is needed for your child. Go ahead and take a few minutes to complete the quiz. It could mean the difference between an early intervention for your child, or an “It’s too late to do anything about it” feeling of regret.