Friday, June 17, 2011

Eyeglasses for kids

A week after my eldest son Carl's eye operation, we're now preparing his eyes for the eye glasses. He now wears goggles after a week of wearing an eye patch on his left eye. His eye suture is healing and then maybe 2 weeks or a month after the operation, he will be given a prescription glasses for his strabismus and improve his sight. I've search the net for some eyeglass ideas for kids, something that will last long and wont be broken. I have found some things to consider when buying an eyeglass frame for children in allaboutvision.com.

1. Lens Thickness

The eyeglass prescription is always the primary consideration in choosing glasses. Before you start looking for the frames, consult with the optician about lens considerations.

If the prescription calls for strong lenses that are likely to be thick, it is important to keep the frames as small as possible to reduce the final lens thickness. Also, smaller lenses tend to have fewer higher-order aberrations near the edge of the lens than large lenses of the same material and prescription, so there is less risk of blurred or distorted peripheral vision.

2. Fashion Forward

Whether they are full- or part-time eyeglass wearers, most kids get at least a little teasing about their specs, especially the first time they wear them. So it's very important that they avoid frames that make them look "uncool." You also should steer your child away from frames that clearly are objectionable, too expensive or inappropriate.

Just keep in mind that the real object is to get your child to wear the glasses. Extra enticement may be found in ultra cool features like photochromic lenses with tints that darken outdoors, which may help inspire any child to want to wear glasses.


3. Plastic or Metal?

Children's frames are made of either plastic or metal (also called "wire"). Double bridges are found on boys' frames, while frames with single bridges are either unisex or strictly for girls. Many manufacturers copy adult styles for children's frames. Kids may be attracted to these styles because they look more grown-up. It's not unusual for kids to ask for glasses that look just like Mom's or Dad's.
In the past, plastic frames were a better choice for children because they were considered more durable, less likely to be bent or broken, lighter in weight and less expensive.

But now manufacturers are making metal frames that incorporate these features as well. Metal composition varies, so ask the optician which one is best for your child, based on experience with different alloys. Ask for hypoallergenic materials if your child has shown sensitivity to certain substances. For example, some people are allergic to frame alloys that contain nickel.


4. Proper Bridge Fit

One of the toughest parts about choosing suitable frames for young children is that their noses are not fully developed, so they don't have a bridge to prevent plastic frames from sliding down. Metal frames, however, usually are made with adjustable nose pads, so they fit everyone's bridge.

Most manufacturers recognize this difficulty with plastic frames and make their bridges to fit small noses.

Each frame must be evaluated individually to make sure it fits the bridge. If any gaps exist between the bridge of the frame and the bridge of the nose, the weight of the lenses will cause the glasses to slide, no matter how well the frame seems to fit before the lenses are made.

It is important that the glasses stay in place, because kids tend to look right over the tops of the lenses instead of pushing slipping glasses back up where they belong. Your optician usually is the best judge of whether a frame fits properly.


5. The Right Temple Style

Temples that wrap all the way around the back of the ear help keep glasses from sliding down or dropping off a child's face completely.

These wraparound temples, called "cable temples," generally are available on metal frames and are especially helpful to keep glasses in place on toddlers.

Another option is a strap that goes around the head.

Eyeglasses with cable temples and/or straps are not a good choice for part-time wearers, however, because they are a bit more awkward to put on and take off. For glasses that go on and off frequently, it is better to have regular, or "skull," temples that go straight back and then curve gently around the back of the ear.


6. Spring Hinges

A nice feature to look for is temples with spring hinges. These special hinges allow the temples to flex outward, away from the frames, without causing any damage. Although they sometimes cost a bit more, spring hinges can be a worthwhile investment for children's eyewear.

Kids are not always careful when they put on and take off glasses, and spring hinges can help prevent the need for frequent adjustments and costly repairs. They also come in handy if the child falls asleep with the glasses on or just has a rough day at play. Spring hinges are strongly recommended for toddlers, who sometimes get carried away playing with their new glasses.
7. Lens Material

Once you and your child agree on frames that you both like, the next consideration is the lenses.

Children's lenses should be made of polycarbonate or a material called Trivex, because these lightweight materials are significantly more impact-resistant than other lens materials.

In addition to being the safest materials, they also are lighter in weight than regular plastic lenses, a nice advantage for strong prescriptions.

Polycarbonate and Trivex have built-in protection against potentially damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the lenses are scratch-resistant coated by the manufacturer or fabrication lab.

The price for polycarbonate lenses generally is comparable to the cost for regular plastic lenses with UV and scratch-resistant coatings. And with polycarbonate, kids get that extra margin of safety to protect their eyes. Keep in mind that Trivex lenses may cost a little more than polycarbonate.

The least desirable material for your child's lenses is glass. Although it must be treated for impact resistance, glass still shatters when it breaks, and broken glass — even safety glass — is a hazard to the eye. Glass lenses also are significantly heavier, which makes them less comfortable to wear.
Because of safety and liability issues, most optical stores in the United States do not sell children's eyewear with glass lenses.


8. Sports Eyewear

Polycarbonate is such a safe lens material that you may be tempted to let your child play sports in his regular glasses.

Here's the drawback: Although polycarbonate is the lens material used for sports eyewear, regular eyeglass frames do not provide enough protection from large objects such as balls and flying elbows. So if your kid is involved in sports, a proper sports goggle with polycarbonate lenses will provide the best protection against eye injury.

To provide optimum protection, sports goggles must be fitted properly — so consult with an eye care professional before making a purchase. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, a sports goggle should have a larger vertical eye opening, rather than a smaller one. If an impact should occur and the goggles are pushed toward the face, a large eye opening keeps the impact points far above and below the eyes. With a small opening, however, the goggle hits right at the edge of the eye socket, which can damage the globe of the eye.


9. Warranties

Many optical retailers offer a warranty plan that will replace eyewear at no charge or for a small fee in case of damage to the frames or lenses. Consider opting for the warranty, especially if your child is a toddler or a first-time wearer.

Be aware, however, that not all warranty plans are the same. Check lens replacement costs with and without the warranty plan. Generally, if the warranty costs you less or about the same amount as the fee to replace one single lens, it is worth the price.

Make sure the lens warranty includes a replacement provision if the lenses become badly scratched from normal wear. In addition to causing glare and blurred vision, surface scratches can compromise the impact resistance of the lenses, putting your child's eyes at risk.


10. Backup Pair

Because children can be tough on their eyewear, it's always a good idea to purchase a second, or backup, pair of eyeglasses for them. This especially is true if your child has a strong prescription and cannot function without his or her glasses.

Ask your optician if special discounts apply for second pairs — they often do if the backup pair is purchased at the same time as the primary pair. In some cases, sports goggles can be used as a spare pair of glasses. Or, if your child's prescription has not changed significantly, keep his or her previous eyeglasses in a safe place for use as a spare.

If your child wears glasses full time (including outdoors), photochromic lenses or prescription sunglasses also should be considered to decrease glare, increase visual comfort and provide 100 percent protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.

To reduce costs, ask your optician if the lenses in your child's previous glasses can be tinted to transform them into sunglasses. If the prescription is essentially the same as your child's current glasses, this is a viable option to purchasing a new pair of prescription sunglasses.

Read more: http://www.allaboutvision.com/buysmart/kidseyewear.htm#ixzz1PWGWxRZi
For babies and toddlers,
this new Fisher-Price frame called Lollipop has
nose pads and cable temples that wrap snugly
around ears to hold eyeglasses in place. 

 
Mira-flex's Non metal components  reduce the risk of facial and eye trauma.
Great for Babies, toddlers, and sport activities.


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Congenital Cataract

Last June 10, 2011, my eldest son was submitted to cataract surgery due to his congenital cataract that affected his left eye. For 3 years of his life, his left eye was blinded by the cataract and left him with only one eye to see. I could tell that he was having a hard time watching TV or looking at things because he was tilting his head to see clearly or rubbing his left eye in hopes of seeing clearly. Until that day, when we’ve finally brought him to the hospital for his scheduled operation after a series of checkups, after treating his primary Koch’s infection, and after earning the money that was needed to pursue the operation. We’re so glad that finally, he can see each and everyday with two clear eyes. I would like to share what is a congenital cataract, its causes and its treatment.

What is a cataract?
  • ·         It is a marked opacity of the lens.
  • ·         May be present at birth, or become apparent in early childhood

What are its causes?
  • ·         Steroid use
  • ·         Radiation exposure
  • ·         Galactosemia (inability to metabolize the lactose in milk)
  • ·         Rubella Virus (if the mother contracted the infection on the first trimester of her pregnancy)

Signs and Symptoms
  • ·         The pupil opening appears to be white (leukocoria)
  • ·         Older children may report blurred vision
  • ·         In infants, this could be detected by lack of response to a smile or inability to grasp or reach a nearby object.


Therapeutic management
  • ·         Surgical removal of the affected lens, followed by the insertion of internal intraocular lens
  • ·         Surgery should be done as early as 3 months of age. If not done before 6 months of age, amblyopia may result.
  • ·         After the surgery, introducing of fluids and food should be done cautiously to avoid or prevent vomiting as this may increase intraocular pressure (the pressure in the eye) and may injure the suture line in the eyes.

 source: Maternal and Child Health Nursing, 5th ed.2007 (Adele Pilliteri PhD, RN, PNP)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Signs that your child loves you

Being a mom is a very rewarding job. It may be difficult but it’s worth the hardship especially when your child gives back the love that you’re always showing him. In my four years of being a mom I can say that I’ve already experienced being loved by my kids. Here are the signs.

Your infant stares at your face
Your baby loves to stare in your face memorizing each and every detail. He’s beginning to realize that you’re important and special though he doesn’t actually understand everything around him.

He misses you when you’re away
Your baby looks around to find you. He cries when you leave and smiles when you return.

Your baby smiles, hugs, and kisses you unexpectedly
Especially when he sees that you’re sad and lonely, your child will come to you and try to brighten your day when you feel so low. It’s his way of consoling you and telling you that he’s there to help-even by just being there.

He runs to you when he’s hurt
You will be the source of his comfort and his strength when he’s down. Just give him some encouragement, hug him, and console him. Tell him that it’s ok to fail and try again.

Your toddler wants to make you happy
 He’ll do everything just to see you smile and happy. He’ll try to help you with the house chores, give you a portion of the cookie he’s eating (which my kids actually do) or dance and sing you a song (which my kids also do).

He enjoys playing with you
Though he has developed friendships among his peers, still the single most important person he enjoys playing with is you. You can see this if he never gets tired playing with you and becomes upset when you’ve decided to end the game. Playing with your kid also develops a strong bond and a lasting friendship.

You become his confidante
He shares you his secrets, his ideas, and his embarrassing experiences, or he just want to talk to you about everything around him.

He gives you a gift
A drawing of the family, a star grade from school, a flower, a shell, or anything that he sees beautiful will be his way of showing you that you’re appreciated, special, and loved.



Monday, June 6, 2011

Bedtime Routines for Kids

Once, I had a hard time putting my boys to sleep. Though they had a very long and tiring day, still they were full of energy, very hyper, and wide awake. They were fighting off sleep and refuse to go to sleep.  At times, they only fall asleep when I’m around checking on them and staying there until they were finally asleep after two hours. And that’s the time I can do the house chores and everything I needed to do. I’ve been searching for a lot of ways to put my kids to sleep without sacrificing a lot of time and setting aside the things that I needed to do until I've read this list from babycenter.ph. Some list here is really proven based on my experience.

The bedtime ritual
It is best to put up a routine or ritual for your child before going to sleep.  If your child learns to follow a certain routine before going to sleep, it will not be hard for him to go to sleep because he is relaxed and comfy, and he will know that its time to sleep once the ritual have started. You must stick to the routine so that if you’re in unfamiliar places, it will be easy for him to go to sleep.
You can decide which kind of ritual that you want to follow every night.  You can include a warm bath, reading a bedtime story, giving a glass of milk, or a little cuddle, whichever will be fine just as long as the activity will calm him and not get him up.
If you start the ritual in the bathroom or in the living room,  It should end in your child’s room or in your room if your child sleeps there.  Its essential to train your child to sleep in the room and assure him that you’ll be back later to check on him so he may not feel afraid or upset.


Release some energy
A play can help release some built-up energy in your child’s body before going down to bed. Every night, my sons and I use to play “the chase play” or “habulan” in filipino for 30 minutes and I can say that this really make them tired and happy, and then I give soak them to warm bath after. A bath or anything that calms the child should follow the raucous play in order to prepare him to bed.


Immerse him to warm bath
This will give your child a clean and comfy feeling before going to bed. Sure he’ll have a good night’s sleep feeling dry, clean and cool especially during the summer, where the weather will give us a hot and sticky feeling.


Read a bedtime story
Your child can benefit from reading or hearing a bedtime story because it will not only increase your child’s vocabulary and improve language skills, it can also build a lasting bond between you and your child. You can let him choose what story you can read for him to manage the bedtime routine.  For my hearing impaired child’s case, I let him look at the pictures on the book and sign to him the story, and then after a while, he’s fast asleep.


Sing a lullabye
This one is performed by my husband for I am no expert in singing. (or its just that he’s got the gut to sing ^^). For years, this routine is tried and tested and I could say that my kids really love their dad to sing a lullabye. It makes them feel comfortable and calm them totally. Before I know it, they are already asleep.


Play soothing music
I’ve tried this once and it really helped put my kids to sleep. Soft music could help soothe them and it will be easy for them to shift from wakefulness to sleep. some of the music that helped me put my kids to sleep is a classic guitar instrumental, classic piano instrumental, and my favorite-the rockabye baby! Renditions of rock artists.


Leave a light on
My kids really hate sleeping when the lights are off. Their imagination are so strong that they could create some creatures and afraid that it may come and get them. A nightlight could help them feel calm and secured, and help them fall asleep.