Vision Problems in Children

Middle childhood (ages 6 to right before adolescence) is the time when many children begin to develop problems with their vision. The most common visual problems are myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.


Myopia is also called nearsightedness. This condition occurs because the eyeball is too long, which causes light that enters the eye through the lens to focus in front of the retina. As a result, these children can see close objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurry.


Hyperopia is farsightedness. In this condition, the eyeball is shortened, so light is focused behind the retina, causing close objects to be out of focus. These children can see street signs a mile away but may have difficulty reading or seeing clearly close objects.


Astigmatism is another condition that affects vision. This happens because the front surface of the eye has an irregular shape—it is shaped is more like a football than a basketball. This leads to distorted vision, both near and far.

All three of these conditions can be inherited, so children of parents that wear glasses are at greater risk for developing visual problems.

The good news is that all three of these visual problems can usually be corrected with eyeglasses. If your child complains of having difficulty seeing the board in school or reading the words in a book or if you notice your child squinting or sitting close to the TV, you should make an appointment with an eye doctor to get your child's vision tested.