CBS News
Eye exams before school are critical, doctors say, as vision issues can go undetected in kids
Are eye exams for your kids on your back-to-school to-do list? Doctors say they should be.
As families prepare for the school season this August, which is also Children’s Eye Health and Safety month, pediatric ophthalmologists are sharing the importance of children’s vision and the health of their eyes, saying it’s critical to get a regular vision screenings to detect and correct eye problems early.
A comprehensive exam is also a good idea because many vision disorders may not only go undetected in children but may be misdiagnosed as ADHD, dyslexia and other learning disabilities or behavioral problems, according to the American Optometric Association.
Another reason to have an exam with a professional? Some conditions like amblyopia, or lazy eye, can be silent and missed at school vision screenings, Dr. Daniel Cyr, a pediatric ophthalmologist with Stony Brook Medicine, told CBS News.
Cyr recommends children have their eyes checked by a pediatric ophthalmologist at least once before starting school. Parents should also make sure they’re screened at their annual well visit.
“It’s really important that all children have their eyes checked before school, because we have seen that in recent large well-controlled studies that children who have refractive error, need for glasses and have that corrected do better on their standardized testing scores,” Cyr said.
With adults and children spending more time on devices, myopia or nearsightedness is increasing, which can cause eye fatigue and strain.
“I like to talk to them about the 20-20-20 rule,” Cyr said. “After 20 minutes of focus near work, you take a 20 second break and look at something 20 feet away. That allows the eyes to unfocus so that you can see up close to relax and that allows the eyes to relax. And that also allows you time to blink too.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been taken into custody by federal authorities in New York, CBS News confirmed Monday night.
In recent months, the hip-hop mogul has faced multiple accusations of sexual abuse and physical violence. In March, Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers due to a possible ongoing sex trafficking investigation, U.S. officials said at the time, but no charges were filed then.
The charges against Combs on Monday were not immediately known.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Marc Agnifilo, an attorney for Combs, said in a statement. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but he Is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Combs has faced a number of lawsuits in recent months involving allegations of sexual misconduct and violence. Combs and his representatives have denied all the accusations.
In May, Combs apologized for a security video aired by CNN that appeared to show him attacking Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. He said his behavior was “inexcusable” and he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
contributed to this report.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
