A study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National
Institutes of Health, has shown that hyperopia in preschool children is
associated with significantly worse performance on a test of early literacy.
The results of the Vision in Preschoolers–Hyperopia in Preschoolers (VIP–HIP)
study, which compared 4 and 5-year-old children with uncorrected hyperopia to
children with normal vision, found that children with moderate hyperopia-3 to 6
diopters of correction-did significantly worse on the Test of Preschool Early
Literacy (TOPEL) than their “normal vision” peers. A diopter is the lens power
needed to correct vision to normal. In general, the higher the diopter, the
worse the hyperopia. This study suggests
that an untreated vision problem in preschool, in this case one that makes it
harder for children to see things up close, can create literacy deficits that
affect grade school readiness. In most children with hyperopia, the
condition is mild and has little impact on vision. A small number of preschool
children have high hyperopia-more than 6 diopters-that is corrected with
eyeglasses. It’s estimated that 4-14% have moderate hyperopia, which often goes
undiagnosed and untreated. The results revealed significantly worse performance
on the TOPEL among children with uncorrected moderate hyperopia, especially
those who also had reduced near visual function, including clarity of binocular
vision and depth perception.
If you or someone you
know has a school age child who has not had an eye exam, please make sure they
are evaluated for vision problems as this can affect their reading readiness,
literacy and overall school performance. Please call
us at 800-325-3937, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Google+
or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.
D'Ambrosio
Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and
western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike,
Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster,
Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main
Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts
01440.
