Health Department stresses the importance of eye examinations for school-aged children

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department is encouraging parents and caregivers of school-aged children to book an optometrist appointment for their child for an eye examination and emphasizes the importance of eye examinations for all young children.

“Yearly eye examinations are free for children up to 19-years old with a valid Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card,” explained Yemisi Aladesua, a public health nurse with the Health Department. “We encourage all parents of school-aged children to book their child’s eye exam as soon as possible.”

Research has shown that one in four school-aged children may have a vision problem. If left untreated, vision problems can affect a child’s learning and development as some of these issues can only be treated if detected when children are young. Vision problems may also be hard to identify, with 61 per cent of parents mistakenly believing they would recognize if their child was experiencing vision or eye concerns.

The Ontario Association of Optometrists recommends for children to have their first eye examination at six-months old, with another scheduled when a child is between two to five-years old and subsequently, every year thereafter. OHIP will cover the cost of a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist every year for children up to 19-years old.

For more information on the importance of eye examinations for children and to find a list of optometrists in your community, please call Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729, or visit durham.ca/schools.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department.