Can a preschooler be short sighted?

[hohohoIdolikeTurkey]

My dh and I are both short sighted - his is severe. A friend recently suggested Dd1 (3.5) may be short sighted. She is always standing right up close to the TV (on the rare occasions it is on ) but I thought that that was just what children did. We tested her by asking what she could see on the screen and she leant forward in her seat before answering correctly. Are we being paranoid? How can you test a 3.5 yr old. Is it necessary to diagnose it this early? Thanks in advance.

Take her to the optician, a good one should be able to see if there's a problem just from observation (and eye tests and glasses are all free for kids)

I know a couple of toddlers who wear glasses. Optician tests them with a chart with pics on instead of letters

I had DD tested as DH and I both wore glasses before we started school.
My sight is still poor but DH's corrected over time.

DD was fine but its worth getting checked

my dd was referred to the hospital orthoptist by the hv when I noticed she had a squint around the age of 18 months - she has had glasses since then as she is long sighted. It is best to diagnose it early as if you leave it too long the eyesight can deteriorate further.

Thanks.
That's reassuring Santa. I was worried that an optician might over diagnose and want to correct slight abberations that it might actually be safe to ignore.

Yup- I was. Wasn't picked up until I was 5 and needed to wear glasses full-time.

my three year old is longsighted in one eye short sighted with a sigmatism in the other

sounds like she could be - my ds will sit back on the sofa which is the other side of the room from the telly and not have to lean forward to pick something out.

My neice wore glasses from 18 months. It's quite possible!

Definately take your dd to an optician.I'm one and very nice .

Ask for recommendations from others or go in a few and ask if they have an optician who is particularly good with young children.Some opticians have more specialist equipment for very young children.

Ask the optician about the prescription found at the end of the test and if specs are needed why.They should not give spectacles unless really needed.

3.5 year old will be fine to test.We see lots of pre schoolers and adjust our tests to what thay can do.

All children should be tested anyway as it is free on the NHS.

DD1 had her eyes tested at 14 months, dd2 at about 8 months because my dd is very short sighted as is his mother. DD1 been wearing glasses since then, dd2 doesn't need them - for now anyway . Yes do get her tested.

Gosh. This has been an education. We have a lovely optician nearby so I will ask his advice this weekend.

DS was given his first pair of glasses at around 3 and a half. Tae her to opticians and see what they say..