Why do so many little kids have glasses these days?

[Anonymous]

My 6 year old just got prescribed glasses today for being slightly far sighted. It's hard to see fine print for reading. Two other kids in his class also have classes for reading. When I was in Kindergarten we didn't do reading or writing really, so probably no one would have noticed. Maybe also vision insurance is more common making it easier to get glasses.

[Anonymous]

I think early detection and awareness is a big factor. When our daughter was 2, we were at a library story time and she kept wanting to go right up to the book. I chalked that up to her being, you know, 2. But the librarian said it could be a sign of a problem, and I mentioned it to her doctor, who recommended an eye screening just to be sure. And yep, she has astigmatism in one eye. Apparently, it’s great we caught it early and she’s avoided much more serious problems by getting glasses so young.

[Anonymous]

My son got glasses about a week after his first birthday. I took him for a free screening through Infant See when he was around 8 months old. He went back for a full exam a few days after his first birthday and they found he was farsighted. He wore them until he turned 11 and then hasn't needed them since. His vision improved with the glasses during those 10 yrs.

I am grateful that they caught this early. I teach kindergarten and the vision screening we have at school is the first time most students have ever had one. Many end up needing glasses. I wonder how much they've missed all of those years.

[Anonymous]

Shoving a screen in their face to shut them up so young has its consequences.

[Anonymous]

Better screening. I'm in my 50s and my declining vision wasn't caught until I was a junior in high school in the 1980s. I was assigned a seat in the back of one class and could not read the chalk board to safe my life. Mom took me for an eye exam. My vision had probably been bad for years, but I muddled through. Many of my teachers back then formed desks into a big circle, so I sat near the chalk board. Today schools are screening students for eye problems, which is great for catching these things early.

[Anonymous]

myopia.

[Anonymous]

It’s screening. Our ped noticed a squint at our DD’s 12 month and she had glasses by 14 months. It’s all early screening/detection.

[Anonymous]

I think it's just detected faster/earlier/easier/better.

[Anonymous]

Better insurance for the parents. Factory and warehouse positions weren't giving holistic family coverage in the 80s. Now even an Amazon warehouse job starts with vision insurance on day one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better insurance for the parents. Factory and warehouse positions weren't giving holistic family coverage in the 80s. Now even an Amazon warehouse job starts with vision insurance on day one.

Statistics do not bear this out.

[Anonymous]

Way better technology. Have you seen an infant eye screen? It's amazing and can detect astigmatism or irregularities VERY EARLY.

It used to be, you had an eye exam when you complained you couldn't see the black board. Now they can figure it out a LOT earlier.

Babies and preschoolers getting classes has NOTHING to do with screens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shoving a screen in their face to shut them up so young has its consequences.

This is absolutely not true.

[Anonymous]

Better early detection and diagnosis of issues that are relatively common like lazy eye / amblyopia / strabismus. My DD started wearing glasses at 2.

I had the same issue as a child and was not diagnosed until 4yo and have permanent vision impairment in one eye, uncorrectable with glasses/contacts. I'm so glad the screening is better and earlier now. She benefited from a surgery that I was never eligible for.

And for the screen time PP, I am extremely strict about screens, so shove off.

[Anonymous]

Overuse of smartphones and Ipads (but not TV screens apparently).
Ipads and smartphones have small screens so children look at them too closely. You don't usually have this problem with TV screens.

Also, lack of outdoor time and earlier formal education.

All these plus genetics could explain myopia in young children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Way better technology. Have you seen an infant eye screen? It's amazing and can detect astigmatism or irregularities VERY EARLY.

It used to be, you had an eye exam when you complained you couldn't see the black board. Now they can figure it out a LOT earlier.

Babies and preschoolers getting classes has NOTHING to do with screens.

Yup. My DC had never complained about having trouble seeing but it was caught at a routine check up at the pediatrician. It’s definitely genetic because my DH has terrible eyes but he didn’t have trouble until later. But now that DC is used to glades they understand what they thought was normal is actually fuzzy. It would have been years before they could have verbalized it.