2 year old needs glasses

[mamaxbear]

Hi all, I’m coming here for a bit of support as I don’t really know anyone who’s been in my position.

We found out recently that my daughter needs glasses due to a turn in her left eye that happens intermittently when she’s focusing. This has come as a complete shock as the turn in her eye only started a week ago. We’re obviously waiting for our referral to the ophthalmologist and in the meantime we need to get her some glasses. Now vision express do the Tomato Glasses brand, which are obviously costly and not entirely covered by the NHS voucher, but supposed to be amazing for kids. We have seen some similar shaped at Asda that would be free with free thinning of the glasses. What are others experience with this? Where am I better off shopping?

Thank you x

Hey - my little boy has had glasses since he was 18 months (he's nearly three now). Specsavers were the only place I could get any to fit his head, vision express ect all had kids glasses but for older children, not toddlers and we've just stuck with specsavers ever since x

Hi, my little boy has the same thing but in his right eye, noticed it around a year old and eventually got the referral through, eyes tested and a glasses prescription when he turned 2. Got some nice glasses from Specsavers but he broke them after a few months and when I went back they had discontinued them and had nothing that fit him. Had to go to an independent optician which had a lot more choice for toddler glasses but not all were covered by the NHS voucher so ended up paying towards the new pair. Might be worth just ringing up a few different places if you know what size she needs and see what they have in stock and if it sounds like they have plenty to choose from and they're covered by the NHS voucher then take her to try some on? I have also heard the Tomato ones are good though.

On a side note, you say you are waiting for a referral but she needs glasses? I assume you took her to an optician and they've tested her and done a prescription? I went through the GP who did the referral but was told to wait for that and then when I had the initial telephone appointment was told to wait for the in person appointment with the opthalmologist who then did the eye drops and sent him for the tests and prescription. I'm now wondering if I took him to the optician straight away would they have tested him and given him the glasses a lot earlier 👀

Can I ask how your eye test went? And how did you know to take him for one? I’m struggling to understand how accurate eye tests can be for toddlers and babies so young! X

Has his eye corrected with the glasses? We’ve taken her to try a few on, one being tomato glasses but they’re not fully covered by NHS voucher. I’ve also looked at Asda as they are completely free and offer lens thinning for free too.

Yes so I couldn’t get into my GP for a week, so I phoned my health visitor and she said take her for an eye test in the interim. The eye test was not the easiest, as I’m sure you already know so I query the accuracy of it. It’s all just thrown me a bit as it’s not something I expected for her, her eyesight has always been perfect from what she describes and I’ve never noticed any issues. Anyway the optician has referred us to ophthalmology for further testing and for more in depth testing but has prescribed glasses for the meantime x

two of my dc had glasses from the age of 2. With my youngest, it became clear as when she would be watching tv she would keep on getting up and moving really really close to the screen, and we would move her back, and she would just get up again and try to stand right in front of it. We have always been to specsavers for her glasses, but all of mine were also under the hospital orthoptist due to having turns in their eyes (which have gone now, as they have glasses).

It depends how you think your little one will treat the glasses. Ours figured out how to snap tomato frames instantly, so the cost really added up. However, the look lovely

'Can I ask how your eye test went? And how did you know to take him for one? I’m struggling to understand how accurate eye tests can be for toddlers and babies so young! X'

Yes of course - he had a turn in his eye from around 8 months so I asked the health visitor and she referred him to the ophthalmologist. The first test was a disaster and he was so upset once they put the drops in, but the second one went really well and he let them fully assess him.

They put some eye drops in to dilate the pupils and they send you away for 30/40 minutes whilst they take effect, then we were seen by the eye doctor who checks behind their eyes ect, and then by the ophthalmologist who checks their sight. They tended to hold toys / shapes ect in front of him whilst looking into his eyes, I'm not sure how they do it he did explain it to me but I can't remember the ins & outs of how it works. I do think they've got an accurate prescription though, he literally hasn't taken them off since he got them other than to sleep, and if I take them off him to clean them he says 'I no see now' 😭 he's a +6 which to me seemed really strong and I was quite upset thinking that he wouldn't have been able to see anything for over a year but the ophthalmologist says that that's not very strong in the grand scheme of things. The glasses have straightened his squint but it comes back if he takes them off. The ophthalmologist said it will be like that forever but will be corrected by contact lenses / glasses / laser eye surgery should he wish to have it xx

@mamaxbear
Yeah the glasses have corrected it. From what I understand it depends on what the cause of the eye turn is. Sometimes surgery is needed if the eye muscles need sorting out but it's often caused by longsightedness which can be fixed with glasses. His prescription is +2 in the eye with the turn and +4 in his 'normal' eye. Opthalmologist has said that the glasses are correcting the turn, not sure if the glasses will be permanent but his eye turns in as soon as the glasses are off but we were told he'd probably have to wear them until at least 8 years old. At the opthalmologist appointment for the first part she got him to look at stuff close up and far away and looked into his eyes and then pointed to pictures on a card and got him to look at stuff to see how his eyes tracked. He had just turned 2 at his first appointment and he wasn't really cooperating so didn't proceed to the eye drops and told us to try again in a few months, so we did and second time round was much better and he had the drops which were quick and then the optician looked into his eyes after putting different lenses in front of him to get the prescription. I was also really surprised as no longsightedness in our family!

Not sure this will be much help, my child got glasses at age one due to squint. We went through referral and were at an eye hospital. They do all the tests and they have a little area for choosing glasses as well. We haven't paid for any of her glasses and she's nearly 5. We have always had the tomato ones, when she was 1 they were the pair that seemed to fit her face the best and we've stuck with them ever since!
I can't believe and don't understand why they aren't covered fully for you but they are for us!?

Oh really? Do you think it’s because we’ve gone through an optician rather than the eye hospital first? She has a referral for ophthalmology but that can take up to three months!!

Don't understand glasses for a squint, at least before being seen by an expert. My DD was referred by from the GP to the hospital and they sorted it out. Didn't need glasses for the squint. Wait for the hospital appointment and see what they say.

My dd also had glasses from 18 months. She had a squint and was referred via the hv to the orthoptist at the local hospital. She was long sighted in both eyes (the squinting eye was more long sighted) and that was contributing to the squint.

She had poorer sight in her squinting eye so had to have patching treatment to force it to work. She also had an eye operation around age 4 as her squint was still very noticeable even with her glasses on.

She still wears glasses and is now age 20.

Refractive errors can cause the eyes to squint as they try to focus to see. Sound like OPs child has a glasses prescription so likely does need to wear them

Honestly I'm not sure as I just followed along with what was recommended and it was all new to us. Do you know where the referral is being sent specifically?
My daughter has a small prescription, they told us that it helps her eyes relax.
It's pretty incredible, while she wears her glasses her eyes don't go inward, when she doesn't wear them they start to drift. They see us often at the hospital, 4 times a year for checkups. One of the appointments annually is the bigger eye test with the eye drops. Let us know how you get on with your referral.

This is something I’m struggling with too. Because we’ve never ever noticed issues with her vision, just this sudden turning in of her left eye. She can point out if I have spots on my face, freckles, bugs on the floor and can see cows in fields as we drive past. I’m in two minds whether to just follow with what I’m being told and get the glasses now or wait for our appointment with the hospital. This is also because the woman who did our eye exam wasn’t the most patient, didn’t really know how to handle my toddler and was rushing her to tell her what pictures she could see.

Nanovista are advertised as unbreakable. They are brilliant.more expensive but adding up trips back after breakages, wait times on getting them etc the cost is worth it

@mamaxbear what is the prescription? Did they give you a copy? Did they use drops in her eyes?

Children are very good at compensation for eye issues and you wouldn't know she had a refractive error until she has an eye test

@dementedpixie yes they gave me a copy. I don’t understand it all properly but this is what it shows. They did the drops on her yes, she cried once they put them in. She was also extremely tired, warm and hungry which didn’t help.

She's has quite a high degree of long sight which is what the +5.25 and +5.75 means. She also has a small astigmatism which is what the figures -1.00 and -1.25 relate to. The axis just tells you where the astigmatism is in degrees.

Being long sighted means she can struggle to see close work and her distance vision is clearer. The glasses will help her not to have to squint to focus.

@mamaxbear and in reply to your earlier question I'd just get the asda ones if they fit and the cost is covered.

I would say, don't pay extra for this first pair of glasses, as when you see the ophthalmologist the prescription may well change again. Refractive errors cause squints as the eyes try to accommodate, eyes turning in is linked neurologically to the muscles that adapt the lens for close vision - so it is common for a squint to appear as a toddler is getting older. One of my nieces is similar but was at least 3 before it was detected. Have fun choosing glasses and hope your ophthalmology appointment doesn't take too long.