A majority of parents in the UK lack knowledge about child eye tests with many holding off until school age, a new study commissioned by ABDO has found.
Around 60 per cent of 2,000 parents surveyed in the UK were unaware that their children needed to have an eye test at least every two years.
The research found that a third wrongly believed children have their eyes tested for the first time when they start school, with 12 per cent saying children only need to get their eyes tested if their parents wear glasses.
It also highlighted that more than half of British parents do not realise that squint and lazy eye can be detected during an eye test. Almost three quarters were not aware that spectacles can potentially help straighten a squint, and the same proportion of parents do not consider making their child wear sunglasses.
With 85 per cent of parents ‘admitting to not knowing much about getting their child’s eyes tested’ ABDO was stressing to the public the importance of ensuring children get their eyes tested by a registered practitioner.
Jo Holmes, dispensing optician and ABDO board member, said: ‘It’s never too soon to get your child’s eyes tested. Children can have an eye test before they learn to read, and the sooner some eye problems are picked up, the easier it is to treat them.’
