Healthy Vision Month

Dear Center Families,

Teri Ann Cox
Executive Director of The Children’s Center

Did you know May is Healthy Vision Month? We will be making vision health a learning opportunity at The Children’s Center in the weeks ahead. Here’s why and how:

• Although older adults tend to have more vision problems, preschoolers may not see as well as they can. Children aged 2 to 5 years of age depend on their vision to learn tasks that will prepare them for school.
• Just one out of every seven preschoolers receives an eye exam, and about one out of every four receives some type of vision screening by their pediatrician. Vision screenings are a limited process and can’t be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem, but rather may indicate a potential need for further evaluation. These quick screenings may miss as many as 60% of children with vision issues. (For example, color vision, which is important as children learn their colors and use color-coded learning materials, is typically not tested).
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a thorough eye examination for all children aged 3 to 5 years to make sure their vision is developing properly, and find conditions such as astigmatism or amblyopia (lazy eye), which can be treated effectively if caught early.

For more information about Preschool Vision, check out the American Optometric Association’s article at: Healthy Eyes for Life.

We will be sharing a few educational posts throughout the month to help protect your child’s vision, including why it is important for them to wear sunglasses. We think that protection against UV light is so important for children and their eyes, that each enrolled child ages 3 and up will receive a fun pair of sunglasses this month!

Finally, if you have any old glasses laying around (or know someone who does), we will be collecting those frames for the Wolfeboro Lions Club in a designated collection box in the lobby. That same pair of eyeglasses that may be recycled, can change another person’s life. Thank you for participating in the Lions’ mission of “the preservation of sight!”

All the best,
Teri Ann