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Through a Child's Eyes

By John D. Bissell, OD Bissell Eye Care August 29, 2015
Remember the awe you felt when you watched something happen for the first time?  Being a parent myself I understand the joy of seeing your child grow and having all of their firsts.  Their first crawl, walk, words and real food.  Every first is a milestone.

For Baby Piper’s parents, having had their child fit for glasses allows her to see them clearly for the first time.  They will always remember the way their child’s face lit up as she saw them clearly for the first time EVER!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cv98v-LnSg


As parents we want the best for our children.  We record every moment we can and cherish the memories we will make with them.  With all of these memories and “firsts” many parents find it difficult to take their children for routine eye exams until their children are in grade school.  Being proactive can help your child see better which can lead to better overall development and growth.  Did you know that 7-12% of children have eye problems that can lead to permanent loss of vision if not detected early?  Early detection is the key to completely correcting 95% of those problems.

Bissell Eye Care is a proud member of the InfantSEE® program providing early detection of eye disease. Under this program, participating optometrists provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment between 6 and 12 months of age as a no-cost public service. This public health program is committed to encourage early eye examinations for children 6 months of age or older. Many children do not receive a comprehensive eye examination until they are in their later elementary grades and only recieve an examination when it is perceived that something is wrong. Most problems occur much earlier and can be prevented with early detection and treatment.

There are over 23 million children who experience vision problems.  As a parents, you know how important it is to have routine doctor’s appointments as your child grows.  Eye doctor’s appointments are often over looked leaving over 86% of children not having their first eye exam until they enter the first grade.  Taking into account that 10% of children between ages 0 and 4 have vision problems, this leaves many children having difficulty seeing throughout the early years of their lives.

Remember as your experience all of your “firsts” with your young ones that you remember the importance of eye health.  Having a yearly checkup can change the way that your child looks at the world and can help them to see their “firsts” as clearly as you do!

About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. With two locations, Bakerstown and Natrona Heights, evening and weekend hours, the practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.