Twenty percent of children with normal eyesight were unnecessarily prescribed glasses after they underwent vision exams. These discoveries were made based on the analysis of 100,000 preschool records from a program in Tennessee.
Approximately one-quarter of the 3,600 children, who were advised to see specialists for further evaluation due to possible eye disorders, weren't diagnosed as having any vision problems. Despite these findings, almost one out of every five children was prescribed glasses.
Percentage of Health Care Professionals Who Prescribed Glasses
Some experts believed that since the majority of the optometrist and ophthalmologist practice consisted of adults there was a lack of knowledge toward the treatment of children. The experts stated that most children shared the commonality of minor farsightedness and that they would eventually outgrow the disorder without the need for glasses.
Experts also felt that making comprehensive eye testing mandatory before starting the school year would be risky due to the high number of misdiagnoses and the expensive cost of glasses, which on the average costs $150. This cost didn't include the additional $100 charge for the office visit.
The alternative experts suggested were sending children for eye screenings by doctors, teachers and nurses, then referring them to an eye specialist if needed.
USA Today June 24, 2004
So one of the keys here is to never put your child on glasses if he or she has only been seen by an optometrist.
Go the extra step and have your child examined by a pediatric ophthalmologist, as there is a 1,700 percent less likelihood that he or she will be prescribed glasses.
But if you really want to avoid glasses then PLEASE read the article I posted in a past newsletter by Dr. Cordain. The reason nearly all children require glasses for vision correction is because they are consuming far too many sugars and grains. This elevated level of insulin from consuming an excess of grains and sugars increases free insulin like growth factor (IGF-1), which then accelerates scleral tissue growth during critical developmental stages thus leading to nearsightedness.
In other words, the above picture is a classic example of why kids need glasses; they are consuming juices and soda instead of pure clean water.
One of the most powerful proactive steps any parent can take to prevent their child from needing glasses is to make certain they only drink pure water and eliminate all juices and soda.