A worrying statistic was thrown up in a recent survey by Boots. They discovered that 35% of parents do not take their children for recommended yearly check ups. This is especially a problem as the incidence of myopia is increasing in children.

80% of childrens learning is processed visually, so if your child’s sight is poor then this may affect how well they do at school, and hinder their progress. Everyday play will also be more difficult. Visual defects like amblyopia or lazy eye can affect sight for life if not picked up before the age of seven, so regular checks are vital for eye health.

Boots research found that 29% of children age 5 – 11 are spec wearers, a figure that has been rising over the past twenty years. It has been documented that playing outdoors, and therefore making the eyes focus from near to far decreases the likelihood of myopia. Prying your children away from the Nintendo and encouraging them to play outside is clearly important!

The NHS pays for tests for children under the age of 16, and under 19 in full time education. They also pay towards lenses and frames, check with your opticians for their standard practice. Signs of poor vision to watch for in your children are squinting, blinking excessively, sitting very close to the TV or holding books close, bumping into things and general clumsiness. Their school work may also suffer.

The good news however is that thanks to Celebrity endorsement specs are now seen as cool, and the threat of bullying glasses wearers is now a thing of the past. Boots claim that 62% of children think that spex are cool! Just as we’ve known all along!