My kid wasn’t progressing quite as well as their older sibling at a young age. They would trip over things and not be as interested in certain play activities. Dark under eye circles were also more pronounced (straining).

During a checkup, they had the option for an eye screening (basically an iPhone app) that takes pictures and flags possible issues. The concerning part was that the nurse’s default was to offer to “skip” this exam since it wasn’t covered by insurance and many parents chose to for financial reasons.

We didn’t skip it, and it found the need for a correction. The first time with the glasses on still brings tears to my eyes rewatching the video. “I see everything!” as they went to look at everything they were missing. The under eye circles also resolved immediately after.

The developmental delays aren’t even the biggest issue. Your eyes learn to work together at a young age, and skipping the glasses can lead to permanent eye issues if not addressed early. Many children likely have a permanent disease that a checkbox and cheap pair of glasses would have prevented.

This is long overdue and in no world should we be training health care providers that early age eye health is “skippable”.