BENGALURU: A child squinting to see the blackboard, holding a book too close or showing signs of a lazy eye may need an eye check-up. Such cues can indicate vision problems that children may not recognise or report, say ophthalmologists, who advise parents to make regular eye examinations part of their children’s healthcare.At some Bengaluru eye hospitals, children account for 30% of daily consultations, double the 15% share reported before the Covid-19 pandemic. While greater parental awareness has led to more eye checks, doctors are also observing a rise in myopia, or short-sightedness, underscoring the importance of early detection.“The burden is definitely increasing, especially in terms of myopia. Nowadays, parents are more tuned to even the smallest concern the child may have and do come up to show it. At the same time, it is a digital world and everything is technology-based, so we’re seeing a significant increase in myopia cases, especially after Covid. That is forming the major chunk of our paediatric disorders today,” said Dr Samhita HR, HOD-oculoplasty and senior consultant-paediatric & squint, Nethradhama Super Speciality Eye Hospital.Prolonged screen use and online classes during the pandemic increased the amount of near work children were doing. When schools reopened, some children realised they could not see the blackboard clearly. Myopia, astigmatism and hypermetropia are among the common refractive errors seen in children.“In a world where childhood is becoming increasingly screen sized, let us make sure their playgrounds stay bigger than their screens. Encourage at least two hours of outdoor play every day, limit prolonged near work, and make regular eye check-ups a habit. Children often don’t realise they aren’t seeing clearly; sometimes the first clue is squinting, sitting too close to the screen or struggling to see the board. When it comes to children’s eyes, don’t wait for a complaint, good eyecare begins before the blur does,” said Dr Naren Shetty, director of Narayana Nethralaya.Not immediately obviousSquint and lazy eye can develop in early childhood without being immediately obvious to parents. An abnormal head posture, such as consistently tilting or turning the head to see, can sometimes indicate an eye-alignment problem.Early treatment is important while the visual system is still developing, ophthalmologists said.“Even when the child doesn’t have symptoms, you may be missing something, especially in terms of squint and lazy eye. I do see some children coming in late. The actual deviation or blurring complaint may come in later, but the squint may have been there from childhood. The earlier we treat these conditions, the better,” said Dr Mayanka Nayak, consultant ophthalmologist, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital.Other seemingly minor changes can also provide clues. Frequent or unusual spelling mistakes may sometimes reflect difficulty in seeing or copying from the blackboard. Children with astigmatism may confuse alphabets because of blurred or distorted vision, Dr Mayanka said.Persistent itching is another concern, as repeated eye rubbing can damage the cornea and contribute to keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea bulges into a cone shape. Watering, too, should not always be dismissed as harmless.“It could be as simple as a refractive error or dryness, but other diseases need to be ruled out,” said Dr Samhita.Doctors recommend a comprehensive eye examination by around two years of age, followed by regular checks.
