Astigmatism: Does Your Baby Need Glasses?

When my son turned 20 months old, I felt that I should definitely share this experience of mine with other parents.

Because many times, we don’t even realize kids have eye problems until the doctor checks them.

I live in France, and here kids’ health check-ups happen in a very systematic way. During one of these routine check-ups, we found out that my son has Astigmatism.

👶 When does the Eye Check for kids happen in France?

In France, mandatory health check-ups for kids take place. When the baby is around 9 months old, the pediatrician or GP does a detailed check of their eyes (vision) and ears (hearing).

My son also had his eye check at the same time. During the first check-up, the doctor suspected he might have Astigmatism. But at such a young age, the diagnosis isn’t always clear.

So the doctor asked to check again after a few months. The second time the test happened, it was confirmed that my son has Astigmatism. After this, the doctor advised him to wear eyeglasses.

👁️ What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a very common eye condition.

In a normal eye, the cornea (the front part of the eye) has a round shape. But in Astigmatism, the cornea is not completely round, but rather a bit uneven (like an egg shape).

Because of this:

• Things can appear blurry.
• There can be difficulty in focusing.
• The eyes have to put in extra effort.

The good thing is that in kids, this can be easily corrected with eyeglasses.

🧬 Why does Astigmatism happen?

Many parents think that if the mom and dad’s eyesight is good, the child won’t have any problem either. But that’s not always the case.

Some of the main reasons for Astigmatism can be:

• Genetics: Many times, it’s linked to family history.
• Eye shape: In many kids, the shape of the cornea is a bit uneven right from birth.
• Natural development: In some kids, Astigmatism can develop during the natural development of the eyes.

In my case too, the same thing happened. Both my husband’s and my eyesight are absolutely fine, yet Astigmatism was detected in my son. So, parents having perfect eyesight doesn’t mean the child can’t have a problem.

🤔 Why don’t parents find out? (My experience)

The biggest thing is that small kids can’t tell you themselves whether they are seeing clearly or not.

If I talk about my own son, we never even realized he could have Astigmatism. Because his vision seemed absolutely perfect to us! I had noticed that:

• He could easily pick up the smallest thing dropped on the floor, even a thin strand of hair, with his fingers.
• He would even stick fine things like chalk dust to his finger.
• Whenever you brought an object close to him or took it away, he would make absolute proper eye contact.
• Even in dim light, he could see things easily.

After all these things, how can any parent think their child might need glasses? But the truth is that kids learn to adjust (accommodate) their eyes very quickly. Deep down, their eyes are having to do extra hard work to focus, which only machines and doctors can catch.

👨‍⚕️ What advice did the doctor give us?

When my son’s Astigmatism was confirmed, the doctor told us that it’s important for him to wear glasses right from now. If it’s not corrected, the vision problem could increase as he gets older.

📅 Eye Doctor’s Appointment and Reimbursement

In France, you can actually book a direct appointment with an Ophthalmologist (eye doctor). But in the case of kids, it’s better to talk to your GP or Pediatrician first. They can refer the child to a good Pediatric Ophthalmologist or Orthoptist.

Here, Social Security (Assurance Maladie) and your Mutual insurance combined cover a huge part of the glasses. There’s also a scheme in France called “100% Santé”. If you choose Class A glasses (frames and lenses) for your child, your entire cost gets covered and you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket!

💬 An important note for parents

If you are parents, please give as much importance to your child’s eye health as you do to other health check-ups.

If your baby is 9 months or older, definitely get their eye check-up done. No matter which country in the world you live in, following this routine is very important.

One step taken by you today can decide your child’s future.

Early detection,
Early treatment,
and the right care…

Can make a huge difference for your child’s eyesight!