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Children's health

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Original poster

glasses or not glasses for 5y old

21 replies

mousysantamouse · 20/12/2011 17:39

have been to optician for an eye test.
result slightly long sighted, +1 and +0.5

the optician prescribed glasses but the supervisor said it's ok to leave it for now but to have the test re-done in 6m.

wwyd?

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Original poster

mousysantamouse · 20/12/2011 20:48

or should we go to a different optician?

OP posts:

workshy · 20/12/2011 20:51

low prescription, I would do without unless it is causing any problems

my dd had a prescription of +1 and +0.75 and optician left it up to her (8 at the time, wore glasses since 2 yo starting out with +3.75 and +4)

TattyCatty · 20/12/2011 20:52

My DD has been identified as being very slightly short sighted at her last 2 annual eye tests, but the optician was happy for her not to have any glasses as the improvement would have been minimal compared to the challenge of getting a small child to wear specs.

She is now nearly 6, and her teacher sent home a note last week to say that she appears to be struggling to see the board, so we'll be off for another test over the holidays and I fully expect to come back with glasses. If your child doesn't appear to be struggling, I'd be happy to wait another 6 months, on the proviso that you go back if you have any concerns before then.

FrostyTheCrunchyFrog · 20/12/2011 20:52

DS1 is +2.5/ 2.75 and doesn't usually wear glasses atm, he seems fine. Unrepresentative sample of 1!

feedthegoatsletthemknowitsxmas · 20/12/2011 21:00

Ds is 6 and has worn glasses since he was 3 and is therefore still under the hospital. I think his last prescription was +1/1.25.

The consultant said if he was older then would possibly not need them but that the eye is still growing in the under 8's and that correcting it now with glasses may mean he doesn't need them at all later on.

Original poster

mousysantamouse · 20/12/2011 21:03

thanks all.
I think we will wait, then. he seems to do ok and the difference between the eyes is not too great.

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SixtyFootDoll · 20/12/2011 21:05

DS 2 is longsighted his first prescription was 1.25 and .75 aged 5. His glasses made a massive difference to him, he has worn them all day every day since.
He's 8 now and is down to 1.00 and .75, only needs them for reading and when eyes are tired.
Can't advise, but I am glad he got his glasses when he did.

ThatVikRinA22 · 20/12/2011 21:10

at a + lens i would leave it, kids can "outgrow" longsight at this age - their eyes are growing like the rest of them at this age - without going into big technical explanation i would do what your optician suggests.

(i did 10 yrs in eyes....)

pugsandseals · 21/12/2011 11:31

It depends why you went to the opticians in the first place! If you do it routinely anyway & child hasn't been complaining I wouldn't bother. But a long-sighted perscription of 0.5 & 0.75 made a huge difference to DD who had all but stopped reading books before she got her glasses. HTH

cheekyginger · 22/12/2011 21:12

Would only really need the glasses if symptomatic sore eyes and sore heads etc. If any increase of the prescription when he gets re-tested then a trial with the glasses might be worth a go.

Going without this prescription will not cause any longterm problems.

Original poster

mousysantamouse · 22/12/2011 21:59

thanks.
we have decided to wait, no complaints about headaches at all.

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GrimmaTheNome · 22/12/2011 22:06

At 5 presumably she's not reading much and what she does have will be pretty large print? Sounds like you need to keep a watch on it as she is expected to read more and smaller print to make sure she doesn't struggle.

(I'm getting longsighted from age and didn't need anything till over 1.5 and then only for small print in low light)

LondonMumsie · 22/12/2011 22:11

If you decide to wait, please let the school now, as they may notice things you don't.

Original poster

mousysantamouse · 22/12/2011 22:18

good point mumsie will do that.

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KateShmate · 22/12/2011 22:18

I agree with sixtyfootdoll - my DD was 2 when they said that she needed them, but, like you, could wait - we waited a month but she was really struggling.
We went back and her eyes were very slightly worse; she got her glasses - shes now 5.5 and now doesnt have to wear them!
We're so pleased that we got it sorted earlier and that she doesnt even have to wear them anymore

cheekyginger · 23/12/2011 16:42

Just wanted to add, wearing glasses at a young age doesnt prevent a child needing them when they are older. Lazy eyes, squints etc do need early treatment. But simple lonsightedness can lessen or worsen with age just one of those things as the eye changes when the child grows.
(11 years in eyes)

Karoleann · 23/12/2011 18:32

I wouldn't prescribe for that unless the patient was symptomatic (headaches, double vision, reading fatigue)
I'm actually +1.75/+2.00 and I don't wear specs still (and I'm 36).

KateShmate · 23/12/2011 22:15

Sorry Cheeky, should have made it clearer - DD did have a squint, we had to persevere with patching etc before getting glasses, and then wearing patches and glasses etc. She was then allowed to just wear the glasses - that improved the squint so much she didnt need them any more. Think it was more to do with the strengthening of the eyes.
Wish my eyes would get better... am on 6 monthly check ups atm as they are just getting progressively worse - Im not even that old!

feedthegoatsletthemknowitsxmas · 24/12/2011 09:32

I am a little bit peeved with our hospital now then cheekyginger because I questioned the need to put him in glasses so young when we hadn't noticed any difficulties at all. It was just picked up in routine testing.

I did ask if any point starting the whole becoming reliant on glasses at his age when he managed fine and I was basically guilt tripped and told that wearing them now could stop him needing them altogether, not make him reliant on them. I honestly wouldn't have bothered if I'd not been made to feel like some sort of negligent parent!

icancount · 26/12/2011 22:07

Cheekyginger - quick question if I may......

DS (9) has eye problems which are being dealt with very nicely . DD (6) had very early/basic eye tests as a sibling whilst DS was under eye hospital care and she was always ok.

HOWEVER.....whilst looking lovingly at DD's school photo, I noticed a dreaded squint. Can squints appear if just tired, as a one-off? or is this the start of eye hospital again??? Opticians booked for Jan 10th. Optician knowing the family history has booked a stingy eye-drops double appointment for her.

cheekyginger · 08/01/2012 22:37

Im sorry to hear that feedthegoat, us parents have got enough to feel guilty about!!!

Hi icancount, its unlikely that she would develope a squint now. Childhood squints generally appear in the frist few years of life. But worth getting her checked at your opticians. Good luck

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