घर पर अपने बच्चे की आंखों की जांच कैसे करे? How can I test my child's eyesight at home?

Eye tests for children Although serious vision problems during childhood are rare, routine eye checks are offered to newborn babies and young children to identify any problems early on. Free NHS sight tests are also available at opticians for children under 16 and for young people under 19 in full-time education. #Why eye checks are important The sooner any eye problem is found, the sooner you and your child will be able to get any treatment and support needed. Children may not realise they have a vision problem so, without routine tests, there's a risk a problem may not be spotted. This may affect their development and education. If you have any concerns about your child's vision see a GP or go to an opticians. #When will my child's eyes be checked? Your child's eyes may be checked a number of times throughout the first hours, weeks and years of their life. #Within 72 hours of birth Your child's eyes will be checked for any obvious physical problems as part of the newborn physical examination. Between 6 and 8 weeks old This is a follow-up physical examination to check for any obvious problems that were not picked up soon after birth. #Around 1 year, or between 2 and 2-and-a-half years You may be asked if you have any concerns about your child's eyesight as part of your child's health and development reviews. Eye tests can be arranged if necessary. Around 4 or 5 years old Your child's eyes may be examined soon after they start school. This is called vision screening and it checks for reduced vision in one or both eyes. The aim is to detect any problems early so that treatment can be given if needed. Vision screening is usually carried out in your child's school. However, this does not happen in all areas. If your child's vision is not checked at school, take them to your local opticians for an eye examination. Read more about vision screening for 4 to 5 year olds (PDF, 1.09Mb). Speak to a GP or go to an opticians if you have any concerns about your child's vision at any stage. What tests may be carried out? A number of tests may be carried out to check for vision or eye problems in babies and children. The red reflex test The red reflex test is usually carried out alongside a general examination of your baby's eyes, as part of newborn checks. It involves using an instrument called an ophthalmoscope that magnifies the eyes and uses a light so they can be examined clearly. When light is shone into your baby's eyes, a red reflection should be seen as it's reflected back. If a white reflection is seen, it could be a sign of an eye problem. The pupil reflex test The pupil reflex test involves shining a light into each of your baby's eyes to check how their pupils (black dots at the centre of the eyes) react to light. Your baby's pupils should automatically shrink in response to the light. If they don't, it could be a sign of a problem. Attention to visual objects This is a simple test to check whether a newborn baby pays attention to visual objects. A midwife or doctor will try to attract your baby's attention with an interesting object. They then move it to see if the child's eyes follow. These sorts of tests can also be used to check the eyesight of older babies and young children who are not yet able to speak. If your child can speak but is not yet able to recognise letters, pictures may be used instead of objects. #Range of movement tests To test the range of movement of each eye, a child's attention will be drawn to an interesting object, which is then moved to 8 different positions: up, down, left, right, and halfway between each of these points. This tests how well the eye muscles work. Refraction test A refraction test is carried out by an optometrist at a high-street opticians and is used to check if your child needs glasses and, if so, what prescription they need. Before the test, your child may be given special eyedrops that widen their pupils so the back of their eyes can be examined more clearly. Your child will be asked to look at a light, or read letters on a chart if they're old enough, while different lenses are placed in front of their eyes. Colour vision deficiency test Colour vision deficiency tests, also known as colour blindness tests, are usually carried out in older children if a problem is suspected. One of the tests used to check for colour blindness is the Ishihara test. This involves looking at images made up of dots in 2 different colours. If a child's colour vision is normal, they'll be able to recognise a letter or number within the image. A child who can't tell the difference between 2 colours won't be able to see the number or letter, which means they may have a colour vision problem. Causes of eye problems in babies and children #childhood cataracts #lazy eye (amblyopia) #squint (strabismus) #short-sightedness (myopia) #long-sightedness (hyperopia) #astigmatism #colour vision deficiency (colour blindness) #   • घर पर अपने बच्चे की आंखों की जांच कैसे करे...