"As a father and as a politician, I am proud and moved to
see the first results of the sight prevention program Children's
Vision Health". The initiative was put forward by Bologna's S.
Stefano neighbourhood council led by Counsellor Vittorio Venturi who, with
much emphasis and realism, informed us of the initiative's first
results."We actually did not expect such positive results following the
screening of children between the ages of 1 and 3, and it is interesting
to see that the initiative was extended beyond the Quartiere Santo Stefano
to broaden to the whole city of Bologna. The first test results following
the screening of young patients indicated that 6% of them had some sort of
visual problem that deserved further examination, and that in 2% of
the cases glasses were prescribed after a complete examination by an eye
specialist."
It is important to remember that vision health and disease
prevention in the first years of life is essential as this is a key period
for the harmonious development of the visual function. A visual defect or
an eye disease arising during that "critical period"
if undiagnosed and untreated in time can create serious, sometimes
irreversible damages to the visual system. Amblyopia, commonly known as
"lazy eye", is one of those conditions which is estimated to affect
around 3 to 5% of the population. Maybe not everyone knows that
children can be seen by an orthoptist or an eye specialist during the
very first months of life. And even in the absence of particular symptoms
there are specific stages where examinations can be done to assess visual
acuity and condition (e.g., 3 years of age).
The innovative technique used during this screening is the autorefractometer, an instrument for measuring at a distance from the child the refractive state of the eye and eye refractive defects like hypermetropia, astigmatism and myopia. The results of an exam with this instrument are interpreted and assessed by an orthoptist or an eye specialist who can then recommend a complete eye exam necessary to establish a precise diagnosis. This method has the unquestionable advantage to enable the visual assessment of many children in a short period of time and with ease. Children are then referred to an orthoptist or an eye specialist for their diagnosis and related therapy.
We would like to conclude by reminding parents to be
aware of specific signs that can signal the presence of a possible
eye disease in their child:
-closing one eye with the hand brings child
to tears or instills fear;
-eyes do not seem perfectly straight or
aligned;
-child constantly keeps his head inclined;
-both eyes'
pupils do not have the same colour, but are rather whitish;
-in the
presence of intense light, the child tends to shut one eye.
Even in the
absence of apparent problems, periodical eye exams are always advisable.