Eyestrain Reality Check

'My child has eyestrain. What could be wrong?!?'
Most of the time nothing is wrong but it should never be assumed. Parents are the child's ultimate advocates. No matter what anyone else thinks, the parents have to trust their children and do right by them - even if a comprehensive eye exam is perfectly normal.
Now there is new research about children and eyestrain complaints that has been published in The American Journal of Ophthalmology. 1,448 children were enrolled (the parents consented on behalf of their underage children).
220 children in this prospective study were complaining of eyestrain or headache and 82% were found to have a normal eye exam. Here's what they found in the remaining children (exceeds 100% because some children had more than one finding):
- 15.0% had an uncorrected refractive error
- 3.6% had some amount of lazy eye (amblyopia)
- 7.3% had strabismus (misalignment)
Compare those numbers with the 1,228 children who did not complain of eyestrain or headache.
- 9.9% had an uncorrected refractive error
- 1.4% has some amount of lazy eye
- 1.8% had strabismus
Now, here's an interesting twist. Looking at the entire group of children as a whole:
- 78.7% of all children with refractive errors never complained of eyestrain or headache.
- 68.0% of all children with amblyopia never complained of eyestrain or headache.
- 58.0% of all children with strabismus never complained of eyestrain or headache.
So, what does this study teach parents? It teaches them that 'You never know!' Fortunately, the odds are good that a child complaining of eyestrain either has no eye problem or a very fixable eye problem. It is also a powerful reminder that parents and families cannot predict whether or not a child's complaints are genuine. Remember, parents, you are the child's ultimate advocates.
REFERENCE: Ip JM, Robaei D, Rochtchina E, Mitchell P. Prevalence of eye disorders in young children with eyestrain complaints. Am J Ophthalmol 2006;142(3):495-7.
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