A recent nationwide survey of nearly 4,000 Americans by VSP® Vision Care revealed that more than three-quarters (76 percent) of children under the age of five have never had a comprehensive eye exam.

"While most parents probably assume that vision screenings provided by pediatricians and school nurses are enough, those screenings are nowhere near as exhaustive as the comprehensive eye exams that optometrists and ophthalmologists provide," said James Short, OD, chair of VSP Vision Care's board of directors. "Before children enter school, an eye doctor should examine the eyes for signs of astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness and also examine the structure of the eye for tell-tale signs of serious diseases affecting more American kids each year, including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol."

Beyond getting children professional eye exams before they enter kindergarten, parents can also help preserve their kids' vision for years to come with a few other preventative measures. The VSP Consumer Eyecare and Eyewear Survey revealed that most adults seem to give better protection to their eyes than their children's eyes. While 68 percent of adults wear sunglasses outdoors, less than 30 percent of children wear sunglasses outdoors.

"While most people are becoming quite vigilant about using sunscreen to protect their skin, most parents may not realize that the sun's harmful rays can also severely damage their children's eyes," said Short. "Long-term effects of sun-damage to the eye include: macular degeneration-the leading cause of blindness for Americans over 60 years old; cataracts, or the clouding of the eye's natural lens; and pterygium, a growth on the eye that can lead to impaired vision."

But, the sun should not be a parent's only vision concern for children. Two-thirds (67 percent) of America's six- to 11-year-olds and almost three-quarters (73 percent) of 12- to 17-year olds play video games, watch TV or use computers for an average (combined school and home) of four or more hours each day. "With children spending more time in front of some sort of screen everyday, Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a serious vision issue that can cause blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain, will become more prevalent in our children," said Dr. Christopher Clark, a VSP optometrist based in Seattle, Wash.

VSP Vision Care recommends the following preventative measures to keep the whole family's eyes healthy:

To ensure that your child is receiving proper eye exams:

-- Start early: A child's first eye exam should take place at 6 months of age, and visit their eye doctor again at age 3 and 5, before annual exams become necessary.

- Look for the signs: "Headaches, issues with hand-eye coordination or problems with focus or attention could all be signs of poor vision," said Dr. Amir Khoshnevis, a VSP optometrist based in Charlotte, N.C. "Before behavioral medication is prescribed to a child, they should always see an eye doctor to rule out significant vision problems."

To avoid Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS):

--20-20-20: While on the computer, take a break every 20 minutes and spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away.

--Right light: Keep bright lighting overhead to a minimum. Keep your desk lamp shining on your desk, not you. Try to keep window light off to the side, rather than in front of or behind you. Close your window blinds and use an anti-glare screen protector.

--Computer specs: Your eye doctor can prescribe a pair of glasses specifically designed for computer use that can help lessen the symptoms of CVS.

Keeping sunglasses on children:

--Make it fun: "Although parents may find it difficult to keep sunglasses on their children for more than 30 seconds, it's important to make the process fun for them. By purchasing bright colored frames and flexible materials, parents can make children happy about putting something on their face," said Khoshnevis.

--Keep it safe: By attaching sunglasses with an eyewear cord, children are less likely to lose or damage their sunglasses during a day at school or on the playground.

About the Survey

The VSP Consumer Eyecare and Eyewear Survey was fielded in July 2008 by VSP Vision Care. There were 3,930 U.S. residents age 18 and older who participated.

About the VSP Family of Companies

VSP®'s family of companies includes the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the United States with 55 million members; VSP Labs, industry leaders in new technologies, production processes, service and logistics; Marchon® Eyewear Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers, designers and distributors of quality fashion and technologically-advanced eyewear and sunwear, distributing its products to more than 100,000 customer locations in more than 100 countries; Eyefinity®/Officemate® which offer innovative solutions and the premier management software and technology to improve overall practice management and the patient experience.

Since 1997, VSP has provided more than 470,000 low-income, uninsured children with free eyecare. Through relationships with the American Diabetes Association, Prevent Blindness America and the Center for Health Transformation, VSP promotes the importance of annual eye exams for maintaining eye health and overall wellness.

VSP Family of Companies