29 September 2010

Parents urged to get their Kids Eyes Checked

Deputy Premier and Minister for Health, Carmel Tebbutt, said results from the Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening (StEPS) program, show that more than 123,000 children have been offered a StEPS vision screen, with over 10,000 referred for further examination.

“These results highlight the importance of getting kids’ eyes checked at an early age,” Ms Tebbutt said. 

“It is important to detect eye problems early, preferably before a child starts school, because if some eye problems are not treated before a child turns eight  the child  may have poor vision in one or both eyes for the rest of their life.

“It’s very difficult for parents to tell if their child has a vision problem because children rarely complain of eye problems and may not realise they cannot see well.

“Many of the parents of children that have been identified with possible vision problems had no concerns about their child’s vision before having their child’s eyes tested.

“With early detection, the solution can be as simple as ongoing check-ups, wearing glasses or an eye patch, medication, or in more complex cases, surgery.”

Children born prematurely are at greater risk of developing eye and vision problems, as are children born into families who have a history of eye related health complaints.

Ms Tebbutt said that many of the children identified with significant vision problems attended paediatric ophthalmic outpatient clinics to have their eyes tested and that the NSW Department of Health was working very closely with these clinics to ensure that all children referred via the StEPS program had their vision tested within a very short timeframe.

Ms Tebbutt said parents should speak to their child’s pre-school or Child and Family Health Centre for an appointment with the StEPS vision screening service in their area.

For more information about StEPS, please contact your local Area Health Service or visit www.nswhealth.gov.au

Ms Tebbutt said the state government committed more than $14 million over four years to the StEPS program which commenced implementation in 2008 and has now screened more than 100,000 children.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au