Eye-glasses in children are, at the least, a physical handicap, lest the emotional trauma.
We see a lot of children wearing eye-glasses in the range of -1.0 to +1.0 S/C, if you think wisely most of these children should not be prescribed at all and lets discuss it.
1)If a child is a pure hyperope (or with C<1.0) he can put an accommodative effort up to 6D easily so what error do you need to correct? Unless he squints!!
2)Hyperopic astigmatism >1.0 this is the most common indication for prescribing glasses in children if symptomatic (which is usually with C>2.0) and symptoms are frequently vague, like recurrent chalazia or dislike of study and near work.
3)Myopia is so infrequent below 10yrs and what astonishes me most are children wearing -0.5S or -0.5C. What was the prescriber thinking of? 😳
4)Myopic astigmatism is also very infrequent and most cases are actually hyperopic astigmatism refracted without cycloplegia which should never be the case in children.
5)Anisometropia and amblyopia is an important issue that needs to be discussed separately.
Save children the nuisance and disability of eye-glasses and do not prescribe them lightly.
Now lets put down an example
An 8 year old child presents with complaint of inability to read the board at class
Put on the autoref his readings are -1.0S, -0.75C OU, what will u prescribe?
In busy practice i see these children wearing -0.75S/-0.5C and going OK but is this OK?