About one in five children need glasses. An ophthalmological examination to determine whether and which visual aid is necessary is possible at any age; even for babies, glasses can be useful. Glasses are usually prescribed to compensate for a defective vision. Whether it’s a child’s sunglasses, glasses for school sports or a vision aid for the baby, parents should look carefully when buying children’s glasses. Here are some important tips:
Children’s sunglasses
Children’s eyes are sensitive – especially to UV radiation. Optometrists point this out again and again, but usually in vain: children’s sunglasses are still too often dismissed as the quirk of eccentric parents. Wrongly: The UV radiation contained in sunlight can damage children’s eyes even more than adults’ eyes. In addition, children’s eyes do not yet have sufficient ability to protect the sensitive retina of the eye through pupil changes. However, children should not wear sunglasses all the time: after all, the eye must also learn to cope with different light conditions – but please not on the beach or in the high mountains, where UV radiation is particularly intense.
Glasses in school sports
Even in school sports, children who wear glasses should not do without the appropriate visual aid: Good vision is essential for coordination and dexterity in sports. In particular, good vision with both eyes is important in sports: binocular vision provides three-dimensionality in visual impression. Children who frequently miss the ball or lose their balance when running and romping may not lack the talent to become a sports star, but simply a suitable pair of glasses. Just like sports glasses for adults, they should be as unbreakable, flexible and lightweight (plastic) as possible. Glasses made of mineral glass are taboo because of the risk of injury – here, too, plastic or, even better, shatterproof polycarbonate is the material of choice.
Baby glasses
When is the right time for the first pair of glasses? Numerous parents are faced with this question. Medicine and science answer with a slightly modified proverb: Early practice makes perfect what wants to become an eagle eye! Research into the development of children’s eyes has now also confirmed that the first years of life are of decisive importance for children’s eyes. Vision fully develops from the first months of life until the age of about seven. During this time, especially during the first two to three years, vision must be learned. By learning what “correct” vision is, the baby’s eyes form optimally accordingly. This is why even babies can wear glasses. The glasses are then less of a typical visual aid and more of a training tool for the young eyes. However, the baby glasses must be carefully adapted to the small head.
Tips for choosing eyeglass frames
- Child-friendly glasses are small and sturdy, at the same time as light as possible, so they do not cause pressure points.
- A frame with a narrow rim has the advantage that it hardly affects the field of vision.
- The size of the frame should fit the face: Above it should reach the lower edge of the eyebrow, below it should cover the transition crease between the eyelid skin and cheek skin. Outside, it should not exceed the edge of the temple.
- Even support of the earpieces ensures a stable, pressure-free fit. Soft, elastic temples that reach almost to the earlobe, give the glasses a good grip.
- The nose bridge must provide as large a contact surface as possible to distribute the weight of the glasses evenly and to take into account the anatomical features of the child’s face.
Adjustment of the glasses
If the glasses are optimally adjusted, the chances that the child will accept them, increase additionally. For this, first of all, the exact centering is important: the optical center of the lens must match the point of view of the eye. Any small deviation can cause problems – up to and including headaches and double images. The glasses should fit comfortably and correctly so that children wear them all the time. By the way, the image of young people wearing glasses today is quite positive – Harry Potter may have done his part. A recent study at Ohio State University found that children wearing glasses are considered smart and trustworthy by six- to ten-year-olds.
