MANY children strain their eyes to read, watch TV and work on a computer. Some parents may not realise that their children have sight problems, and may find out from their child’s teachers. Anthony Olwoch reports

Roberts story
Robert, a P.2 pupil had difficulty taking notes from the blackboard. Often times, his notes had errors. His teachers and parents thought he had no interest in his work or was being stubborn.

However, one day his teacher asked him to read out aloud what he had scribbled on the blackboard and Robert failed. It was not until he moved closer to the blackboard that he was able to read clearly.

The teacher advised Robert’s parents to take him to an opthamologist. The eye specialist diagnosed Robert with short-sightedness and recommended spectacles.

Number of children with eye defects shoots up
Often times, children do not complain about sight problems because they assume it is normal. However, some may complain, but cannot figure out what the problem is.

Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye, a consultant eye specialist at the Department of Ophthalmology, Mulago Hospital, says children may complain about their eyes, for instance, a child may complain of pain when the fact is, the pain is due to straining the eyes.

“Over the past years, there has been an increase in the number of children with eye defects. This is probably due to increased awareness among parents such that they are compelled to take their children for frequent eye check-up, easy accessibility to health facilities and affordability of treatment.

Others are lifestyle habits like watching television and playing computer games,” Tumwesigye says.

Causes
Tumwesigye says anything that stops proper focus of light on the retina can cause poor vision. These include:
Genetic diseases that may not be correctable.

Vitamin A deficiency, leading to night blindness.
Small eyes due to poor development. This results in short sightedness, a refractive error where light is focused in front of the retina.
A big eye or genetic factors can result in long sightedness. In this case, light is focused behind the retina.

Astigmatism. This a condition in which the horizontal and vertical curvatures of the cornea are not proportional, leading to the formation of an unclear image on the retina.

Dr. Grace Ssali, an eye specialist at Mulago Hospital, says cataracts can also cause poor vision. A cataract is a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye or in its envelope, preventing light from reaching the retina.

Indicators of poor vision
When a child frequently knocks down objects while moving, a parent should not assume that the child is just clumsy.
Children with vision problems tend to play while seated in the same place. Short sighted children may not engage in games like football because they are not able to see the ball when it is kicked far from them.

When a child continuously watches television while sitting close to the screen, this is an indicator that the child could be short sighted.
Parents should not ignore children who hold a book too close to the eyes while reading.

Parents should be keen to notice whether a child loses pace or skips lines while reading.
Teachers should alert a parents if their child cannot read what is written on the blackboard.

A child can make many errors while taking notes due to an inability to copy the actual words on the blackboard. Such children usually tend to copy notes from other students sitting next to them. Many times, such children are presumed lazy and punished.
When a child narrows the upper and lower eyelids as he looks through a pinhole, this is an indicator that he is struggling to see

When your child complains of poor sight in the dark or is fond of stumbling and falling, it may be an indicator that the child is not able to adapt to darkness due to night blindness.
When a child covers one eye to read or watch television, this could be a sign of double vision or a more serious medical problem.

Frequent headache. Uncorrected long sighted children often have frontal headaches or brow aches as a result of the strain they put on the eyes as they try to clear blurry vision.

Treatment
Tumwesigye advices that if a parent notices signs of poor vision in a child, he or she should schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. A specialist can differentiate an eye disease from a defect.

Depending on the eye defect, a child is given glasses meant to correct a condition. “Poor vision due to cataracts needs to be corrected by an operation. When it is not done early, the retina fails to develop fully,” Tumwesigye says.

Ssali says after a cataract operation, glasses are prescribed. Children who have squints (cross-eyes) and eye allergies are also given glasses.

Night blindness can be corrected by feeding the child on foods rich in vitamin A, for example carrots. However genetic eye problems may not be corrected.

Tumwesigye advises parents not lose hope when their children develop eye problems and are given spectacles.

Costs of glasses
The costs vary. A frame could go for sh50,000. Good quality frames cost about sh100,000 and above. A cheap lens goes for about sh30,000. High power lenses cost about sh150,000 upwards.