Prevent Blindness has declared August as Children's Eye Health and Safety Month and will provide parents, caregivers and educators information that may help to maintain healthy eyesight in children both in and out of the classroom.
Vision disorders are varied and often benefit from early detection and treatment. A child who does the following may have possible eye and vision problems: rubs eyes frequently, closes or covers one eye, tilts head or thrusts head forward, struggles when reading or doing other close-up work, holds objects close to eyes to see, blinks more than usual or seems cranky when doing close-up work, says things are blurry or hard to see, or squints eyes. However, a child may still have an eye problem even if he or she does not complain or has not shown any unusual signs.
Extended screen time among children has become a vision concern for many parents, caregivers, and educators. Digital screens have become a common part of a child's world, used for interactive play, reading, learning, and connecting socially. The daily time a child spends viewing a digital screen, including a cell phone, tablet, laptop, computer, TV, or gaming screen, can add up quickly.
Prevent Blindness, in coordination with Children's Vision Massachusetts and School Health, has created a web resource and free "Children's Vision Digital Screen Tips" posters in English and Spanish, available for download at https://preventblindness.org/childrens-screen-time-tips.
The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) at Prevent Blindness also provides free, informational resources, as well, at https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/your-childs-sight/. Vision care financial assistance resources in English and Spanish may also be found at http://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
For more information on children's eye health and safety, the NCCVEH, or financial assistance programs, call Prevent Blindness at 800-331-2020 or visit https://preventblindness.org.
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