A study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National
Institutes of Health, has shown that hyperopia in preschool children is
associated with significantly worse performance on a test of early literacy.
The results of the Vision in Preschoolers–Hyperopia in Preschoolers (VIP–HIP)
study, which compared 4 and 5-year old children with uncorrected hyperopia to
children with normal vision, found that children with moderate hyperopia-3 to 6
diopters of correction-did significantly worse on the Test of Preschool Early
Literacy (TOPEL) than their “normal vision” peers. A diopter is the lens power
needed to correct vision to normal. Generally, the higher the diopter, the
worse the hyperopia. This study suggests
that an untreated vision problem in preschool, in this case one that makes it
harder for children to see things up close, can create literacy deficits that
affect grade school readiness. In most children with hyperopia, the
condition is mild and has little impact on vision. A small number of preschool
children have high hyperopia-more than 6 diopters-that is corrected with
eyeglasses. It’s estimated that 4-14% have moderate hyperopia, which often goes
undiagnosed and untreated. The results revealed significantly worse performance
on the TOPEL among children with uncorrected moderate hyperopia, especially
those who also had reduced near visual function, including clarity of binocular
vision and depth perception.
If you or someone you know has a school
age child who has not had an eye exam, please make sure they are evaluated for
vision problems as this can affect their reading readiness, literacy and overall
school performance. Please
call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter
to schedule an appointment.
The Eye
Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue,
Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059
and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout
central and northern New Jersey.
