A fresh look at eye care for children

Eye specialists are adopting more ways to address growing eye problems among children.

The increasing use of computers and more demands at school are contributing to the problem, say experts.

As a result, more methods for the correction of children’s eye problems are being explored and practised.

Frank Filocamo of the NSW Optometrists Association of Australia said more close visual work for children is leading to more eye problems.

“There has been an increase in demand for children’s eye specialists with the advent of computers,” he said.

“There is an epidemic of children developing short-sightedness because they spend too much time on computers.”

Mr Filocamo said 86 per cent of children are untested prior to starting school and a quarter of Australian school children have a visual problem.

Over 600,000 children in schools have an undiagnosed eye condition.

In response, local optometrists are using more methods than ever to target increasing eye problems among children.

These include reshaping the cornea, eye exercises and behavioural optometry (training the brain to see properly).

Behavioural optometry is an area that is slowly rising, with local practitioners including Mr Filocamo and Liz Jackson.

SooJin Nam runs the new Eyecare Kids practice in Broadway, which combines behavioural optometry, orthoptics and cornea reshaping.

Ms Nam has been practising optometry for 12 years and is seeing an increase in demand for children’s eye care.

“We’re seeing a lot more symptoms now than we once were,” she said.

Ms Nam said her business has a range of treatment options to ensure children get what they need.

“This is a more holistic approach than in the past. We have many options for treatment so kids get what they need,” she said.

“We’re really working on personalising the services we can provide,” she said.

Rod de Beer directs Sydney Healthcare, the health precinct in Broadway, where Ms Nam’s business is based.

Mr de Beer said he accepted Ms Nam’s business as part of the precinct as it provides an approach that is new, holistic and important with regards to children’s eye care.

“SooJin’s innovation with Eyecare Kids could change the way Australians think of the basic business of optometry,” Mr de Beer said.

Ms Nam hopes to expand this combined approach to locations right across the city.

Photo: Max and SooJin Nam

By Fabian Di Lizia