Back-to-School Physicals Should Include Visit to Eye Doctor
July 29, 2004
Parents can help children retain good vision for life
Des Moines, Iowa – It’s a Friday night at the local discount store. Parents cross items off a long list as kids toss everything from notebooks, pencils, crayons, lunch boxes and glue into the shopping cart. It’s back to school this month for kids, and while most families spend ample time making sure the kids have all the supplies they need, many Iowa children do not get the proper checkups before heading back to school
“The majority of preschool-age children never get an eye exam,” said Dr. Donny Suh, a pediatric ophthalmologist specialist with Wolfe Clinic. Many parents overlook taking their child to the eye doctor while doing the traditional kindergarten physicals and immunizations.
“The best way to protect a child’s eyes is through professional eye exams, beginning shortly after birth, at 6 months old, before entering school (age 4 or 5) and periodically throughout the school years,” Dr. Suh said.
Vision screening of children is critically important. More than 1.2 million school-age children, or one in four, have some form of vision problem. And it is possible for a child to have a serious vision problem without his or her parents being aware of it.
Some common children’s eye problems include:
Amblyopia or “Lazy Eye” is reduced vision in an eye that has not received adequate use during early childhood. This condition results from either a misalignment of a child’s eyes, such as crossed eyes or a difference in image quality between the two eyes (one eye focusing better than the other). With early detection and treatment, the chance for restoring vision is excellent. If detected after age 9 or 10, the chance for restoring vision is limited. About 2 to 4 percent of children suffer from amblyopia.
Strabismus or “Squint” exists when one eye does not aim directly at an object of interest to which the other eye is aimed. The eye may turn always or occasionally, and the turn may be inward, or outward. Untreated, this condition can lead to amblyopia.
Color Deficiency or Color Blindness is most common in boys, affecting one in 12 boys, and is almost always hereditary. Children with so-called “color blindness” are not blind to color but have a difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.
In addition to these eye problems, children can develop myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism, and parents may be unaware of the problem if their child has not received a professional eye exam.
Untreated eye conditions can worsen, as children grow older and lead to other serious problems, including affecting learning ability, athletic performance and self-esteem.
Dr. Suh will host a free pediatric seminar for the public at 6 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Ames Wolfe Clinic. Dr. Suh will cover common childhood eye disorders, the warning signs of such conditions and treatment options.
In business since 1919, Wolfe Clinic is a recognized regional diagnostic and surgical center offering the broadest range of professional care in the specialties of ophthalmology and otolaryngology. With over 32 locations throughout Iowa, including Marshalltown, Ames, Fort Dodge, West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Wolfe Clinic provides expert eye care and convenience to all Iowans. For more information on the treatment of glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic eye disease, laser vision correction, and other ocular diseases, please call 1-800-542-7956. Visit Wolfe Clinic online at www.wolfeclinic.com.
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Editor’s Note:
Dr. Donny W. Suh came to Wolfe Clinic from Baltimore, Md., where he completed his pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellowship at The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at The Eye Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, and received his medical doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston. During his residency, as a Paul Kayser Scholar through the Pan-American Academy of Ophthalmology, Suh traveled to South America to work with pediatric ophthalmologists in treating disadvantaged children.
Dr. Suh is currently a member of Surgical Eye Expedition International and travels to South America to provide free medical and surgical services. He has had numerous articles published and is actively involved with the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigation Group. He presented the results of his research on a surgical technique for treating specific types of strabismus at the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Dr. Suh is an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
He and his wife have three children. He enjoys spending time with his family, table tennis, golf, jogging, and trying new cuisine.