According to a team of researchers from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Canada, the motor skills of children are closely related to good vision and eye health and so that more attention should be paid to their eyesight in their early years to ensure their optimal development. Astigmatism and abnormal motor function at two years of age, in particular, may result in poorer vision at four and a half years. The scientists discovered a direct correlation between poor motor skills and a lower ability to perceive depth (also known as 3D vision or stereopsis) between these two periods of growth.
Deficient motor abilities, like inaccurate tracing, grasping and catching are major warning signals. “Existing clinical tests for two-year-old children’s vision are not predictive of visual outcomes at four and a half years, so we recommend the development of more sensitive tests for this,” explained senior author Professor Nicola Anstice. Actually, vision issues go undetected in about one in four children.
While mild to moderate vision impairment may affect many children and negatively impact their early academic achievement, there is no clear consensus on which factors in early early childhood might need long-term ophthalmic follow-up, especially for children with a history of perinatal difficulties.
Picture: More attention needs to be paid to children’s eyesight (Frank Mckenna, w/ Effects)
