Las Vegas Urban League WIC Urges Parents To Be Proactive For Their Children During Child Vision

LAS VEGAS - June 1, 2023 - PRLog -- Most parents think that having their children's eyes checked once a year is sufficient, but eye-care professionals stress that parents should not only rely on annual exams to protect their children. Parents need to be proactive in observing and talking to their children to detect early eye issues.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1 billion children have vision impairments. With the majority of these children have uncorrected refractive error (URE), including significant near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism.

"It's important to know that vision screening and eye exams are different, according to Shannon Johnson WIC Flamingo East Clinic Coordinator. "Both are important, and both should be done on your children," "Vision screening is an evaluation used to identify children who need additional eye care. It can be done by a family doctor, pediatrician, school nurse or another healthcare professional. A comprehensive eye exam is done by an eye doctor - a specialist called an ophthalmologist or optometrist."

It's important to make an appointment with an eye doctor if you notice your child squinting, rubbing their eyes, having trouble concentrating or complaining of headaches.     Some tips for protecting your child's vision include:

• Making sure they eat well with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
• Limit computer and television screen time, so uncorrected vision problems won't get worst. Make sure your child takes frequent breaks when using any type of digital device.
• Make sure your child gets enough sleep, which heals and recharges both the body and eyes.
• Insist your child spends time outdoors. Muscles in the eyes need time to relax. Focusing on distant outdoor objects greatly reduces eye strain and fatigue.
• Insist that your child wears sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection when going outdoors. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can be harmful to the eyes over time.
• If your child plays sports, make sure he or she wears protective eyewear.

"Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in the United States," Johnson said. "One in four school-age children and 5 to 10 percent of preschool-aged children have some form of vision problem requiring treatment. As a parent, you need to be proactive in detecting these eye problems early and seek professional care."

For more information and advice on how protect your child's vision, visit Las Vegas Urban League WIC at https://www.wiclv.org or its two convenient locations: 6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or 3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561.

The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants and Children Program is a 501c (3) program that is funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.